MICHELLE’s New Album is About You, Specifically

The New York-bound six-piece MICHELLE have released their new album, “Songs About You Specifically” this Friday 27th of September. The indie-pop record is the band’s third studio album, in which they explore a fresh sound paired with intimate lyrics.

“Songs About You Specifically” came out via Atlantic Records and Transgressive Records on Friday, 27th of September. If you are unfamiliar with MICHELLE, a fun (and amazing) fact about the band is that they recorded their first album “HEATWAVE”, an ode to New York, before even meeting in person. That single-handedly illustrates that band members Sofia D’Angelo, Julian Kaufman, Charlie Kilgore, Layla Ku, Emma Lee, and Jamee Lockard were meant to work together. However true, this album is even bigger evidence of that fact.

It kicks off with Mentos and Coke, the band’s second single which we first heard on July 31st. The song’s hypnotic guitar and vocals make it nearly impossible not to have it on loop. This funky, evocative sound resulted from their decision to rent a house in Ojai, California, where the six of them worked on the album for a month. As a collective that was born and raised in a fast-paced city, you can hear the change of scenery in the music.

Next is Blissing, where groovy, syncopated beats blend into the record seamlessly. The 90’s vocals in Akira, combined with an enticing bassline, feel like something you would’ve heard from an R&B girl band back then.

Cathy was the third single, which came out a month before SAYS. It is the perfect nostalgic, yet somewhat hopeful ballad. Its introspective and at times unserious lyrics provide an endearing listening experience, especially if you play it at full volume and sing along in your room (or so I’ve heard). It is followed by the lively Dropout, then Noah’s danceable piano and dreamy melodies.

“Songs About You Specifically” contains a wide array of experiences, not only because of the members’ diverse influences, but also due to their unique perspective as a predominantly queer band where most of the members are POC. Consequently, they bring about originality to the genre, making it more relatable, as specific as the songs may be.

Although the acoustic guitar in the apologetic Missing on One stands out, the polished production is something all the songs share. We have band members and producers Charlie Kilgore and Julian Kaufman to thank for that, as well as Emma Lee, Layla Kuriloff, and Maya Polsky.

This album is a journey from start to finish. From I’m Not Trying’s layered vocals and coming-of-age aura, through the betrayal in Oontz —the song that got me into MICHELLE in the first place—, juxtaposed with an upbeat dance courtesy of Emma Lee, they bring every song to life. Painkiller’s summery rhythm pieces the album together and, finally, it is brought to a close with Trackstar, which once again feels like coming out of a movie theater, convinced you are now in the film.

The songs in SAYS are danceable and ruminative, all at once, a combination made possible by the creativity of every single member of the band. “Songs About You Specifically” has the recipe to become an instant classic, and above all, MICHELLE are here to stay.

Listen to the album here.

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