Isabel Pless Sips on Hometown Nostalgia in "Shirley Temples
photo credit: Patrick McCormack
To me, there is an innocence and whimsy associated with Shirley Temples. It’s the drink you ordered as a child that made you feel just as fancy as the adults with their glasses of wine and scotch on the rocks. In her new single, “Shirley Temples”, Vermont-raised, Nashville-based Isabel Pless reflects on a summer of designated driving and a new appreciation for the place she grew up in.
“I wrote ‘Shirley Temples’ about my last summer in Vermont before moving to Nashville,” shares Pless. “For the first time in my life I felt so much gratitude for where I grew up and how it helped shape who I am. When I listen to it I feel a little happy, a little sad, and very hopeful— I hope everyone else feels similarly.”
Sonically, the song is bright and lighthearted. It opens with an acoustic guitar before drums join the mix early in the first verse. The straightforward instrumentation allows for the lyrics to take center stage. Armed with a linguistics degree from Wellesley College, Pless has a knack for writing lyrics that paint vivid images. (Pless has self-proclaimed herself as a word-girl, the phrase was even featured on her graduation cap in 2022.)
The lyrics have an air of maturity to them, as Pless reflects on her childhood in Vermont. There’s no hostility, even though there are hints that childhood wasn’t always picture perfect. In the second verse Pless sings, “I call my college friends and say I wish I could teleport / But at least it doesn’t hurt to be here anymore”. The lyrics “Funny how the weight lifts when there’s nothing left to prove” round out the song, and Pless repeats “nothing left to prove” as the song comes to a close. The combination of lyrics with guitar and drums makes “Shirley Temples” feel like it should be played over the final scenes of a coming of age movie.
“Shirley Temples” is the final single off of Pless’ upcoming debut album Workhorse, which releases February 21st. Pless announced the album on December 6th on Instagram and in her caption wrote “I've never felt so proud of anything ever”.
