GRAE Wears Her Heart on Her Sleeve on the Wonderfully Unpredictable 'Whiplash'
The energy GRAE produces is instantaneous and infectious, both on record and in person. That sound is but the product of a vibrational current that seems to be knit into GRAE's DNA, a gift from her father to console the early loss of her mother, an antenna inside her that is always feeling, radiating a signal.
The evolution of a former artist project that felt restricted by its singer-songwriter moniker, GRAE was thusly born to push her songwriting boundaries. Following a very promising debut in 2020's Permanent Maniac, the global pandemic blanketed her prodigious emergence, leaving her uninspired. The turbulence and penalty of that period are felt on her debut album Whiplash, which as the title suggests is a neck-turning adventure into processing her past. "...When you think you understand where I’m going with something, the mood changes and everything is back at square one. It’s an album filled with so much self reflection, love, heartbreak, and discovery," shares GRAE.
Using nostalgia - a byproduct of her earnest romantic nature - as a muse, much of Whiplash is an exercise in remembering and piecing together the layers of feelings and emotions stitched in those memories. Right off the bat, "Boxes" pulls you into GRAE's emotional 3D maze. "Im feeling nauseous / a little too cautious," she sings. Immediately, you grasp two truths: GRAE is very comfortable drawing inspiration from melancholic greats like the Robert Smith of the Cure; she is perceptibly comfortable with her songwriting team who clearly strengthen and embolden her instinctive gifts.
Of the songs not already released previously, "Don't Know How To Girlfriend" is a sweet and syrupy acoustic standout, highlighting a keen sense of lyricism, a humor adjacent perspective, and GRAE's beautifully delicate voice. However, moody and meandering GRAE's internal compass may be, the concise construction of Whiplash is rewarding, a true album of substance meriting repeated listens. We strongly suggest you strengthen your neck, blow your mind, and bless your ears with this deep listen.
Listen to Whiplash below:
