For awhile now, I’ve been trying to think of the best way to discuss albums that I have liked this year. There’s been a ton that I’ve already mentioned in some capacity, but I don’t want to get to December and not recognize how many great artists have flown under the radar. I don’t necessarily believe that Monday Melodies will shift to a catch-up column, but my goal is to share a bit more about what’s been keeping me entertained. For the opener, I have picked a bit of a doozy, if just because it’s the quintessential 2024 album about how first impressions aren’t everything. Give it time and things will reveal themselves for what they truly are.
Nobody better symbolizes that than Faye Webster. As someone not familiar with her larger catalog, I entered “Underdressed at the Symphony” with zero expectations. Coming out the other side, I had a whole host of synonyms for “boring” ready to apply. As I’ve gotten older, I don’t want to dedicate that much effort to propping up disagreeable work. Instead, I let it slide away, allowing whoever enjoyed her lackadaisical production to have their moment. Her voice is an acquired taste and after the 6.5 minute opener “Thinking About You,” I found myself too disengaged to care about the rest. Even the random Lil Yachty verse on “Lego Ring” did nothing for me. Everything was fine, but nothing was encouraging me to come back.
Then temptation reared its ugly head and I found myself with a curiosity to revisit. Maybe it was because of her then-recent Coachella set where she performed in front of washing machines. Of the few minutes I caught, I was starting to get the appeal. It was sleepy, sure, but the melancholic undertones lead to some perplexing thoughts. Webster was vulnerable in a way that felt like something you’d only say when you’re alone late at night, stuck somewhere between R.E.M. and dreams. It’s where even the most insecure thoughts blossom into unbiased revelations. This isn’t a record you put on at parties. I don’t even know that it’s a social record in spite of its title. This is for when intrusive thoughts have taken hold and all you can do is ride them out and attempt to figure where the greater meaning lies.
The journey between tolerating and loving this record is not linear. If anything, the reassessment was met with many bumps. It’s the type of low energy record that doesn’t immediately strike me as “artful.” Even if I began to see the profundity of “Thinking About You” and its repetition, I still had to immerse myself in the full vision. Webster was alone with a functioning depression, murmuring in an effort to connect with the outside world. The optimism hidden in these songs are her finding reasons to live. Still, her disconnection comes form a self-awareness that shines through as she becomes critical of E-Bay purchases.
I think it helps that this isn’t an album that simply wallows in the darkness. It is full of yearning that is infectious. Contrasting the self-defeat of “Wanna Quit All the Time” with “He Loves Me Yeah!” shows the duality of someone living a nuanced life. Not only that, but the way that the latter’s cry of “Yeah” clashes with the melody creates catharsis as she finds reason to pull through the fog. In most cases, the “Yeah” is upbeat and joyous. Even in its optimism, there is something sinister about how Webster does it. She can’t quite reach true happiness, but she’s still able to acknowledge that emotion exists.
The album title does an excellent job of contrasting the personal with the social. In interviews, Webster has mentioned that it’s based on her experiences of going to symphonies to feel connected to others. However, she often feels like she’s never dressed properly. Given that symphonies are associated with elegance and success, it’s easy to see the larger thesis as being about imposter syndrome. What should be an excuse to see talented musicians perform live ends up being a chance to feel judged by strangers. The escapism of melodies that have unified audiences for centuries aren’t enough to ignore her problems. She’s sitting there thinking about you. She’s not in the moment. It’s the conflict of an introvert failing to truly engage with a world built on impulsivity.
The few moments of her impulsivity aren’t always built on happiness. “E-Bay Purchase History” reflects a mix of amusement at her behavior as well as regret for other decisions. Given the platform’s need for attentiveness and to outbid strangers, it only adds to the ways that Webster feels unified but also disconnected. Suddenly there’s competition surrounding something inconsequential. The search for meaning is sidelined by losing money. Will it matter when it shows up on her doorstep, or will it exist in the back of her closet? It raises the question on what matters in a digital age when everyone is projecting online and tactile interactions don’t feel as organic as they used to.
The instrumentation adds to this feeling as she delves back into 70s rock music. It adds to the subconscious nostalgia of the piece while allowing the jam-style melodies to feel stream of consciousness. There’s very little that sounds bombastic. Instead it’s the feeling of swaying back and forth, getting lost in harmonies and ideas that are as old as time. It adds to the contrast against symphonies, especially as the electric guitars and inelegant tones lack the triumphant and sublime builds. Instead, there’s a sense of beat poetry. It’s sporadic and counterculture. It’s rebellious without drawing attention to itself. Even then, what’s the fight for? The self-defeat in Webster’s voice is both sad but also hopeful that something better will come along.
It was about this time that I began to appreciate how dissonant “Lego Ring” felt in contrast to every song around it. Given Webster’s long-time friendship with Lil Yachty, it makes sense that it feels childlike. The very nature of the metaphor feels grounded in something juvenile and reflective of how a naïve person would see the world. Even the use of metaphors like being “string beans” seem silly and lacking self-awareness. There’s something goofy here that connects Webster to a jubilation from another time. The clashing voices allow for differences to be celebrated without becoming too saccharine.
Initially I was bothered by how the tempo changed abruptly and never felt like it built a cohesive piece. It made no sense why they made this grand opus about wanting a Lego ring. It seemed blocky and something anyone could create. However, that’s to ignore how this brief moment of childlike wonder is accompanied by Lil Yachty’s high-pitched joy attaches Webster to a sense of progression. She doesn’t have to wait to get a Lego ring. She can just build one and make it however she wants. The malleability shows the potential of life shining through. For as dour as the preceding tracks were, this is a catalyst for something grander.
Ironically, the following song is called “Feeling Good Today.” The journey from here is one of being more outgoing. The album is the equivalent of sitting in bed, ruminating on an unpleasant thought before having a friend inspire you to get up and enjoy life. This comes in many forms from “He Loves Me Yeah!” to “E-Bay Purchase History.” The joys of life are many but they’re all quantifiably different. It’s important to take stock of what matters. Some of them may come with smirks of joy while others confusion and a funny story to share with your friends. Suddenly a Lego ring doesn’t sound so bad.
Alas, this is a record that makes the listener feel disconnected from the conventional world around them and encourages a search of the self. As the album ends with “Tttttime,” it becomes aware once again about how things are marching forward and we’re all stuck in this bizarre aging process. We can spend it thinking about what could’ve been or we can try to appreciate what time we have. Even if you feel underdressed at the symphony, why not take the risk and just appreciate what makes you happy? It’s the music that everyone has come to see, and that will be what lasts in people’s memories more than what you wore.
Still, I relate to the imposter syndrome of Webster’s lyrics on this. I have gotten into a lot of slower tempo artists in the past year, but nobody has achieved the melancholy quite like Webster. It’s not an inviting record and may be off-putting to well adjusted individuals. However, it’s one of those albums that I now put on whenever I need a moment to slow down and appreciate what I have. By being slightly distant from the familiar, it allows the listener to revel in their own eccentricities and not feel judged. This is far from polished or focused. It’s insecure but not self-aware or critical. Instead it’s about acceptance.
Even if this rarely rises above a melancholic key, I honestly think it’s one of the most hopeful records I’ve heard this year. I’ll admit that it took awhile for its charm to work, but once it did I found time to just sit and enjoy its unique mood. There have been a few albums that have grown on me over the months, but none to the extent that this one has. What started as something that made me yawn with impatience, I am now able to see that as a feature and not a bug. It’s about finding something to live for. You just have to get out there and try.
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