Blondshell summoned the spirit of the ’90s in order to deliver one of the most compelling debut albums of the year. A record that features a myriad of emotions, you’ll go from laughing, to tearful, to blood-shaking fury in the space of a few songs on her self-titled LP. Sabrina Teitelbaum utilizes scruffy, Pavement-esque indie rock and grunge to explore tales of terrible sex, quicksand-like relationships, and the strength you can find in others across an album documenting the highs and lows of our closest relationships.
Blondshell is a newcomer to the increasingly crowded field of ’90s-indebted indie singer/songwriters. Even before the release of her self-titled debut album, the singles were drawing early comparisons to “Exile In Guyville” and “Live Through This“, placing her within a storied lineage of diaristic young songwriters. But what the album ultimately does best isn’t channelling Liz Phair or Courtney Love, but making room for Sabrina Teitelbaum to carve her own identity.
What makes Blondshell particularly compelling is the pure catharsis that seems to come so naturally to Teitelbaum’s sound—this is music to find common ground in, and it has the all-encompassing vigor to make you feel like you can seize any opportunity.
The album packs plenty of grunge riffs, ascendant choruses, and dreamy indie soundscapes, all laced with sharply written hooks that snarl and soar. But for as often as the record’s sound palette draws on ’90s touchstones, Teitelbaum’s songwriting makes the record feel of its moment, offering messy dissections of bad sex, toxic relationships, and romantic longing. The record’s core lies equally in the sharply written hooks and the vicarious thrill found in Teitelbaum’s oversharing. “Blondshell” hits hardest when she is at her most raw and messy, transmuting the frayed angst of young adulthood into resplendent indie rock.
A mixture of candid honesty and quick wit, Blondshell makes you want to recite this album over and over again. It’s a concise debut that never ceases to offer excitement as it explores life’s imperfections in a raw and gloriously direct way.
The Fat Angel Sings 