The Supporting Character by Emily Kinney | Album Review

The Walking Dead alum’s fourth album blows a western wind into her singer/songwriter tales of insecurities and growth.

Z-side's Music Reviews
Modern Music Analysis
8 min readDec 21, 2024

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The artwork for Emily Kinney’s fourth album The Supporting Character. (Photo from Genius)

Many will recognize actress and singer/songwriter Emily Kinney from her tenure on the hit AMC show The Walking Dead as Maggie’s little sister Beth. The show teased Kinney’s skills as a musician, having her play short bits on the guitar and sing. Many might be surprised to find Emily has released her music dating back to 2011. With three full-length albums under her belt, she continues to grow her indie-pop meets singer/songwriter sound that wavers between the conversational sound of She & Him to the country flirtation of Jenny Lewis. As the title of her 2021 album suggests, The Supporting Character not only dives into her history as an actress but deeper into feeling like a distant participant in various personal relationships. Kinney confessed to The Big Take Over that this collection of songs chronicled her life at this point in time:

“This group of songs, I feel like really represents where I’m at right now, so I’m really excited to have it out and available. There is always this other side of it. I noticed with the last couple of singles that I released where I started to go, ‘Oh, now they don’t really belong to me anymore.’ As long as you’re working on it, you’re like, ‘Well, maybe I’ll send one to a friend, and it’s sort of like this little secret.’ But as soon as it’s out in the world, people can attach them to their life and they kind of take on new meaning, which is really exciting, but there’s always a little bit of, ‘A chapter is over.’ Sort of like a chapter is over, and a new one is beginning where you’re going to do more shows or work on the next album. So yeah, I feel mostly excited and a little bit of recognition of a chapter closing?” — Emily Kinney via The Big Take Over (2021)

Omaha Hotel” begins with an airy rustling of acoustic guitar as we reflect on the things we missed from our hometown. Kinney revealed to The Big Take Over that the song was inspired by her move from Nebraska to New York and how isolated she felt:

“If you listen to ‘Omaha Hotel,’ which is about leaving home, so much of that is about when I moved to New York City, which is so different from [my home state] Nebraska. I was trying to do this thing that nobody in my family had really done, and I missed out on a lot of the normal things, like cousins and friends getting married, having babies. In theater, there’s eight shows a week, and in TV if you get a job, you’re not exactly leaving to go to weddings. So there was this kind of commitment to a more creative, artistic lifestyle which is so amazing — but there’s another side of it of missing out on family.” — Emily Kinney via The Big Take Over (2021)

Emily’s sing-songy vocals dance alongside pastel, plucked acoustic guitars and brushed drums. We are reminded of the many things that we’ve missed since we left this familiar place, “I stepped away for a minute to get myself together/ Watch them turn in the soil with the turning of the weather/ And all at once there were no more chances/ I wish we could’ve caught up under better circumstances/ Well, I missed your babies, missed your wedding/ With the wrinkles on our face nostalgia is setting… In.” I wish there were more depth to her mostly bright, major melody. I believe this would bring more of the bittersweet emotions surrounding her return and her resolution to leave.

Kinney confesses her need to take root in any new situation in “When the Midnight Fireworks Start.” She brings out a lovely country-infused traveling sound reminiscent of Neko Case, giving the backdrop a rich, earthy color. I think many can relate to her need to adapt to the shock of a new environment. She promises that once her embers catch air, she will burn brighter than ever before: “I’m a slow burn driving fast through a city/ Full of matches and gasoline leaks/ Full of people so shiny and pretty/ I’m a slow burn/ You gotta give me a few more years/ But there is nothing that can stop this fire/ Broken bridges, no amount of tears/ I’m a slow burn about to take flame/ And when the midnight fireworks start/ Everybody will know my name.” This sound is Emily’s strength. She sounds ready to blossom with this soundscape accompanying her.

The official music video for “When the Midnight Fireworks Start” directed by by Davy Greenberg.
The artwork for the single “Easy” from The Supporting Character. (Photo from Genius)

Easy” delves into fawning over a lover whose attention you seek isn’t reciprocated. Kinney maintains an intimate atmosphere through the closeness of her acoustic guitar. No matter how much she shrinks to placate his needs, the void he leaves behind is never filled: “I am easy, I am weak/ When I hear you start to speak/ Across some great stage we’ll call the bed/ I work so hard just to be easy instead/ I am easy, but I’m not loved/ No, my whole body is never enough/ I practice patience, I pray for will/ But when you come around I can’t sit still.” Again, I wish some of the lightness was cut into some minor notes to bring out the sorrow bubbling underneath.

We slowly swirl in a milky spiral of heartbreak in “Cadillac.” Emily brings back a full band to repopulate the landscape in the red clays of electric guitars and textured drums. Kinney marries the fickleness of stardom with the sting of a partner whose priorities don’t match your own, “The world whistles as he whirls and wanders around the stage/ Fame is a trophy and a trap, an invisible cage/ And I see him spin and sputter when he hits the edge/ Now he’s talking to ghosts who won’t leave his bed/ He calls ’em his best friends/ Well, they can have him instead.” The way she drags out each phrase adds just a little more longing that makes her words burn that much brighter.

Skinny” reveals Kinney’s struggle with body image as she desperately wishes to be as thin as possible. Emily opts to trade out her trusty acoustic guitar for a stripped-back electric guitar wash. Her obsessive need to watch her weight to make sure she’s in perfect shape is something many can sympathize with, “I wanna be skinny, let my bones show/ Let the world grow while I am shrinking/ I wanna be beautiful, I’m constantly in fear/ And crying midnight tears ‘bout what you’re thinking/ Oh, God, give me self-control/ God, give me one more mile/ God, give me some small space to fit for a while.” My biggest qualm with this track is its arrangement. I think it would benefit from the acoustic intimacy that early songs displayed rather than this creamy electric sound.

Genetic Makeup” looks to family members for the many emotional quirks that make up our roadblocks. I like the playful arrangement of electric guitar, bouncy drums, and plucky toy piano that bring a sense of humor to our raw sensitivity. Kinney sees her emotional issues arise from her mother or sister’s fragility and willingness to forgive, “I think I got the same genetics/ It’s why I can’t sleep at night/ It’s why I’m sensitive to sunburns/ And I forgive but can’t forget a fight/ Empathetic to my detriment/ I’m so aware of every space I take up/ I’ll fall in love and it’s forever/ It’s just my genetic makeup.” I appreciate that she doesn’t view these sensitivities as a flaw but rather something that makes her who she is.

Emily penned “I Went Looking for You” in memory of fellow Walking Dead cast member Scott Wilson. Kinney brings out the sullen tone through the brittle strike of an old upright piano and twangy guitar. She maintains a lost feeling, wandering about this soundscape, both celebrating a life well lived yet taken too soon: “I guess you’re in the heavens/ I guess you’re in the sky/ I guess you won’t be coming back to say goodbye/ More questions than answers/ Your guess as good as mine/ And though you’ve lived such a beautiful life/ It doesn’t seem fair/ When I went looking for you, my friend/ You weren’t there.” It’s a touching ode to a friend who had passed on.

The titular track, “The Supporting Character,” reveals how the speed of being in the industry has felt like a blur to Kinney. Her rhymic strumming brings momentum to the spacey production similar to that of Kacey Musgraves’s recent folk-adjacent offerings. She seems lost in the whirlwind of the entertainment industry, almost like she’s watching her life from outside herself: “I’m gonna take every line I get/ And go as far as I can go/ They’re gonna hear me in the balcony/ As well as the very front row/ I know I’m lucky to be in this movie at all/ And when the credits roll/ I’ll stand proud, clap, and stand tall/ The movie goes by so fast/ It’s been a month and a year/ The world’s a hurricane/ You and I are just a single tear.” I think this amorphous tone helps to bind the notion that you’re living a dream that you couldn’t have imagined in your youth.

Fifteen Minutes” closes the album, willing to give away all the success you’ve found to keep your partner with you always. Her acoustic backing sounds much fuller than some of the earlier songs on the album. All the stardom she’s obtained through her work in television pale in comparison to the joy this newfound love has brought into her life, “Oh, a star to watch on your magazine page/ But stars, you know, they live so far away/ Drinking champagne on their own/ Scrolling through pictures on a telеphone/ In a hotel room/ If I could get thosе fifteen back/ I’d give ’em to you/ I know you think you want it/ You’re sure it’s worth the big trade But take it from one that’s lived it/ Nothing is better, nothing is better/ Than the love we just made.” It’s a cute way to show the appreciation she has for her lover and a nice nod to her acting and singing ventures.

The official music video for “Fifteen Minutes” directed by David Schlussel.

As a continuation of her singer/songwriter career, I think this does a good job of highlighting her skill as a lyricist. There are moments where her history as an actress bleeds into her storytelling that may alienate some who are only aware of her film/television work. That said, some quite nice country-tinged tracks brought to mind artists like Laura Veirs or Neko Case through their colorful arrangements. Kinney is at her best when the production surrounds her, making the intimacy of her songs have a greater depth. I do wish her more acoustic-leaning tracks had less of a sing/song vibe, as it feels too impersonal when paired with tales of leaving home or fawning in a toxic relationship. I also think “Skinny” lost its strength from its floral electric backing. Overall, Emily shows promise as a voice in the singer/songwriter genre. The more she focuses on the strongest moments from this album, the better her following projects will be.

My overall thoughts on The Supporting Character:

Loved it: “When the Midnight Fireworks Start,” “Cadillac” & “Genetic Makeup,

Liked it: “Omaha Hotel,” “Easy,” “I Went Looking for You,” “The Supporting Character” & “Fifteen Minutes

Disliked it: “Skinny

My overall rating: 6.0 out of 10.

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Modern Music Analysis
Modern Music Analysis

Published in Modern Music Analysis

Analysis of post-2000 works with attention to culture, influence, and creativity

Z-side's Music Reviews
Z-side's Music Reviews

Written by Z-side's Music Reviews

Welcome to my personal blog. This is a place where I discuss any of my musical finds or faves. Drop in and have a listen.

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