Album of the Week: isaac gracie by Isaac Gracie
Mariella Bevan brings us a review of Isaac Gracie’s eponymous debut album in this week’s Album of the Week. As his first professionally produced release, does this album show that Gracie has got what it takes to move beyond the humble beginnings of his bedroom recordings?
Creatively, recording a debut album is a big jump for Isaac Gracie. Up until this point, all his music was recorded in his bedroom, where he enjoyed the intimacy and lack of expectation that came with working in his own space. After a rough demo of ‘last words’ on SoundCloud gained significant attention, though, a rapid series of events was triggered, culminating in a Virgin EMI record deal and the daunting task of producing his first album. Unfortunately, this meteoric success wasn’t without its hitches, and lead to the breakdown of his relationship with his girlfriend. Hence, through his lyrics and soulful voice, Isaac Gracie offers up a window that promises an intimate insight into his whirlwind experience as a new face in the music industry.
Comparing the original demos of his early songs to the studio versions, the difference is clear. Most notable is just how polished and sonically rich these initial tracks now sound. The addition of a percussion and string arrangement on ‘last words’ enhances the beautiful lyrics, rendering it an emotional listening experience. From the beginning, Gracie proves to be a thought-provoking wordsmith, with lines such as: “blood in your nails, are you scratching for fame?”, lingering in the mind long after the song has finished. Meanwhile, the drums and bass on ‘terrified’ only seem to enhance the sense of melancholy portrayed by Gracie’s lyricism.
The song ‘the death of you and i’ shows quite a different style to the previous two, reminiscent of Neil Diamond’s ‘You’ll Be a Woman Soon’, with the guitar and mellow vocal tone. In a surprising twist, Gracie’s passion comes through on the chorus here, with a quick change of pace: a violent glimpse of an angrier look back at his relationship.
Despite his breakup being the topic of each song, not all the tracks are the slow ballads that might be expected. ‘running on empty’ presents itself as a slightly more upbeat, danceable anthem, in which the subject matter almost seems to retreat from the foreground. This change in tempo doesn’t hang around for long, though. A few songs later, ‘all in my mind’ briefly ushers in a slightly heavier guitar solo, but falls disappointingly short of upbeat. ‘that was then’ even showcases a use of some eclectic instrumentation, including the addition of a Hammond organ, yet this only breathes life into a song which might otherwise fall short of interesting.
Towards the end of the album, the break-up theme seems to transcend each song so much so that, as they almost blur into one, they become somewhat forgettable. However, Gracie’s lyrics remain clear, and denote the deeply emotional and impactful nature of the experience that shapes so much of this album. Gracie’s depth and potential is evident, and shows, if nothing else, that he might just have what it takes for a long musical career.
For fans of Isaac’s EP, ‘songs from my bedroom’, this full-length album is a natural progression with few surprises to divide his existing audience. Though a few of the unreleased tracks provide more than listeners might have already heard from him, for more casual listeners this may prove repetitive. While Gracie confirms that he is a talented songwriter, whether or not he is worth the hype remains to be proven.
Article: Mariella Bevan
Editor: Alex Sheriff
