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Album reviews Music

>>> Hannah Georgas

In the era of Insta-lives, appearing as if you’re “living the dream” is par for the course. However, Hannah Georgas’s third album stands in stark contrast to that ethos. Filled with self-doubt, disillusion and inner resilience, For Evelyn tackles a personal, sometimes painful journey with raw, captivating emotion.

Setting the tone is breathlessly sung opener Rideback, in which she confesses, “I wake up in the middle of the night / thinking ‘Oh my God, who the hell am I?'” This universal concern sounds fresh in the alt-pop songwriter’s hands, and the song’s discordant, abrupt ending leads us into an album of revelatory tracks.

The pounding anthem Evelyn inspires a Flashdance-esque “dancing/fighting for your life” kind of intensity. Impassioned vocals on Don’t Go and Lost Cause balance heartbreaking, genuine melancholy. But opposing this is the piano-led Walls (“When you left me I was ready for you to leave”), which builds cathartically before landing virtually silent on her final word. Bouncy, synthesizer-heavy tracks – Loveseat and Crazy Shit – find Georgas sounding less lost and troubled but still seemingly standing apart, lest she get hurt. 

Nothing about For Evelyn feels resolved. A restless quality drives each track, resulting in a thoughtful, solitary album that you listen, cry and even dance to alone. Yet after it’s over, you’re left feeling less alone, because through its intimate explorations, Georgas makes the personal universal.

Top track: Lost Cause    

Don’t miss: Hannah Georgas in the Stiegl Hidden Studio

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