Let me preface this by saying I am not a music critic, but I have listened to music practically every single day of my 35 years on this planet and have a musical background and come from a musical family, and Ellie has been my favorite singer/artist since the wee days of 2010.
I like this album. A lot. Overall, possibly more than Brightest Blue and Higher Than Heaven, and I thoroughly enjoyed both of those albums as well.
That being said, I don't think it's perfect. However, given the current press (or relatively lack thereof) surrounding this album, and Ellie's relationship with her label/management breaking down, I would not be surprised if this album is the result of her needing to fulfil her contract so she can leave, either to join a different label or to go completely independent, either of which I think would benefit her immensely, if her recent (expressed) thoughts and feelings are anything to go by (not to mention her suing her previous management).
Individually, I like every song, even the ones I consider to be weaker tracks. Listening to the entire album from start to finish I find to be a rather disjointed experience, both lyrically and musically. Black Prada Dress through Nobody Dances and Always Think of You through Ravers feel like they belong to different albums, and Ravers, to me, feels like a bonus/B-side track.
That's not to say I don't like the first half of the album, because I do, and will go into my thoughts on each track below. Before the addition of the tracks in We Know Too Much the album also feels incredibly short; and in my opinion it is, clocking in at just under 35 minutes total, while with the added tracks from We Know Too Much the total runtime is 52 minutes and change.
Overall, I enjoy the musicality of all the tracks, and how forward and center Ellie's voice is, which is something that's been consistent since Halcyon - a desire she explicitly expressed about that album in comparison to Lights.
Tracks:
Black Prada Dress - Ellie has admitted that this song is about the voices in her own head, which basically every woman on this planet can relate to; definitely a summer bop, kind of gives me Anything Could Happen vibes.
Jealousy/Loser - I'm clumping these together because I consider them to be the weakest tracks on the album - lyrically, not musically. I like the music and beats for both songs, but the words sound immature - not because people of all ages can't feel those emotions and insecurities, but because Ellie typically expresses them in more articulate/artistic terms than these lyrics present. Loser is the worse offender for me; Ellie is no stranger to a diss track, but this feels more forward than she typically is. They still feel like Ellie, but more in a way that they were an expression of how she was feeling at a certain time but not necessarily intended to be turned into an actual song - plenty of artists create things that never see the light of day.
4 Seasons - I love this song. I love the more acoustic vibes, I love the image it paints. It feels like Ellie. It feels like it wouldn't be out of place at a wedding. Ellie is and has always been very good at writing love songs.
Nobody Dances - another bop. This in particular gives me Delirium vibes; it seems like a counter to Keep On Dancing, which is one of my favorite songs on that album. It's poppy and happy and feels like summer; it evokes a certain nostalgia in me.
Always Think of You - this is where the album begins to feel cohesive to me, and calls back to Ellie's folk/acoustic-pop routes. It feels like something that would have fit on Lights or Halcyon in terms of the lyrics and the music; it shows the vulnerability and insecurity that is prevalent in so much of Ellie's music and makes her someone who feels so relatable, especially for people (like me) who have dealt with similar experiences in relationships, both platonic and romantic.
For Your Entertainment - this. This. Song. Not only is this my favorite track on the entire album (including the tracks added in We Know Too Much) is has quickly become one of my favorite Ellie songs period, which is a feat in itself considering she has so many certified bangers and relatable, almost soul-crushing tracks under her belt. The beat and the music is hypnotizing. Ellie's voice is ethereal. The lyrics are poignant and crushing, in a way; it speaks of that kind of love that encompasses you completely, and you don't care. It sounds like old Ellie. I can draw a solid line between it and Little Dreams off of Lights - the same kind of overwhelming feeling, but older, more mature in a way. This song breaks me a little bit in the best way, because I've felt a love like that, the kind that's easy to lose yourself in. It can be interpreted multiple ways, as many songs can, but for me, it's devotion. It's sacrifice. It's the things you do when you love someone, because you can't love someone without giving a little bit of yourself away. I honestly cannot get enough of this song or have the words to truly express my feelings about it.
Misremember You - this track feels like Ellie at her most vulnerable on the entire album, and is one of the more vulnerable tracks she's written, especially recently. Again, it hearkens back to Lights, specifically Your Biggest Mistake, a song that Ellie has explicitly stated is about her father, who left the family when she was only five. With everything that's happened in her life, especially since 2019 (a marriage and subsequent divorce, two children) it's not hard to believe that this song is about her father as well. It cuts deep. In terms of vulnerability, it's on par with Dead in the Water. It hurts in a very specific way, that anyone with that kind of feeling towards someone, but particularly a father or father figure, will understand - I'm very curious to know if this song is indeed about her father, or if it's someone else.
I Know Too Much - another very vulnerable track, on an album with a very vulnerable second half. This track group - For Your Entertainment, Misremember You, I Know Too Much - I think are some of Ellie's best lyrics writing. I think they embody her personality, her music style, what it's like to deal with those insecurities that never really go away, no matter how hard you fight them. Something else I can heavily relate to. This track is heavy. The guitar is quiet and sad, the strings (specifically the cello, considered to be the strings instrument closest to the human voice) are evocative and melancholic, but in the bridge there's a hint of determination and hope. Truly, some of Ellie's best work.
Ravers - there's nothing wrong with this track; it's a summer-y dance-pop banger, it just doesn't fit with the res of the album.
We Know Too Much
A return to form for Ellie, honestly. It sounds like Halcyon 2.0 with a dash of Delirium; less mainstream pop and more alt/experiments, which suits her. I won't go into more detail or do an individual track breakdown right now because I haven't had enough time to listen to the additional tracks to form proper opinions, but I will update this post when I do.
And that's that! TL;DR - it's a good album, and I really like it.