The Aces’ 'I’ve Loved You For So Long' is an Indie-Pop Sapphic Soundtrack
Photo: Julian BurgenÌo
The Aces' Iâve Loved You For So Long is a nostalgia-riddled triumph of musical innovation, adorned with the catchiest of glittering, earworm hooks. The indie-pop group exists at the intersection of live band layers and synth intricacies, creating a sound that is uniquely their own. Made up of four best friends, The Aces are also veritable queer culture icons, providing breakup tracks and romantic backdrops for all types of WLW pining.
The title track is bliss in every sense of the word, shimmering in both lyricism and sonic palette. Layers of reverb-laden guitars and a lively melodic motif create a glittering instrumental dreamscape. And in the lyrics, thereâs no underlying bitterness or cynical punchline, itâs just ease. To me, âIâve Loved You For So Longâ could almost be the indie-pop epilogue to Taylor Swiftâs âFearlessââthe sigh of relief after taking the dive and confessing how you feel.
While âAlways Get This Wayâ is a star single, the following track, âGirls Make Me Wanna Die,â is an absolute anthem, scream-singing straight from the broken hearts of every sapphic situationship. The Aces turn this aching into a danceable frustration, leaning into surf-rock guitar lines and a bouncy, determined melody. Itâs the sonic embodiment of sending a girl Clairoâs âBagsâ one night and walking silently past her in the grocery store the next âthe exhaustion is reeling in every line.
âSoloâ is a production standout for the album. Intricate vocal processing becomes its own instrument in the scope of the arrangement, taking the place of guitar solos, showcasing The Acesâ innovative musical instincts. âNot the Sameâ is my personal favorite. The melodies are written with this gut-wrenching tendency to land on the most aching note, like a pressure point or grazing a bruise. The melody perfectly supports the lyrical tone; itâs mature and grounded as the decision to end the relationship is finalized, but the leftover pang of desperation is palpable in lines like, âSo what do we do, âcause I donât know how to stop loving you? / But weâve tried, and weâre just not the same.â
One sec, making a mental note to put âSuburban Bluesâ on repeat next time I visit my hometown. The Aces bottle up small-town restlessness and mix it with indie rock angst, employing guitar riffs and fervent drums to express suburban claustrophobia better than words ever could.
The second half of the album is hit after hit, with âPersonâ arriving as a hooky triumph, and âMiserableâ shrouding an existential crisis in an indie-rock-meets-disco drum groove. âAttentionâ stands out as an uncommon breakup concept, where the focus is on the narratorâs shortcomings, erring on the side of pointed realism rather than self-deprecation. Finally, âYoungerâ rounds out the album on a nostalgic note, reminiscing but content in where it now exists.
I've Loved You For So Long feels like a confident embrace of The Aces' sound. They've settled into their originality after years of letting their style blossom, and this album is the crystallization of that journey.
Listen to I've Loved You For So Long below: