Rating: 3/5 stars

Madison Beer (“Hurts Like Hell”) is no stranger to the music industry since she got scouted by Justin Bieber (“Justice”) as a 13-year-old. Now over a decade later at the age of 24, Beer is back with her sophomore album “Silence Between Songs”. There are definitely some very good parts of this album that make it a worthwhile listen, however, there are some not-so-great points that stick out too.

“Silence Between Song” boasts 14 songs on its tracklist, however, many songs sound similar to each other. Let us get one thing straight–an album can sound cohesive without each song being a slightly altered copy of another and Beer’s album does not execute that properly. Beer sticks to similar chord progressions and melodies that make it hard to pinpoint which song is which upon first listening. Sometimes pop music can lack musical depth. Electronics, MIDI instruments with simple chord progressions and little to no variation in the beats have a chokehold on this genre. This is not necessarily bad. While Beer is a pop singer, her album does a better job of varying the instruments that are in each song. Some songs include a different time signature rather than 4/4 and vary the beat a little, which can add a lot of depth to a song. 

The song where this was most apparent was “Sweet Relief”. The song starts out on the slower side, but once the chorus kicks in, a killer bassline starts and makes the song danceable and hard not to like. 

It can be appreciated that Beer did not hold anything back with this album. She was brutally honest and shared her innermost thoughts and feelings with the world. In the song “At Your Worst” she sings “But I hope I never hate myself /The way I know you hate yourself/It hurts to see you hurt/The ones who love you at your worst”. 

These days, fans love when artists are open and honest, especially lyrically. Fans admire authenticity over superficiality. “Ryder” seems to be an apology to her younger brother for not including him when they were kids and not being there for him when she should have been. She clarifies lyrically that she will always be there for him. Sweet right? Beer’s ability to be candid in her songwriting always shines through and is a high point in this album. 

Many people can appreciate a good breakup song. “Dangerous” is a heart-wrenching ballad that speaks about a low point in Beer’s life. “Right when I think I hate you/Something pulls me under like the tide/Even picked a house and chose our kids’ names/You’d always be mine.” Upon first impression, the song sounded Disney-ish but it redeemed itself as it played on. The lyrics were spot on, and the harmonies used added a layer of depth not heard in most mainstream songs. 

While this album was sometimes lacking, it should still be on your radar. This is only the start of something great for Beer. While it lacks variety upon first listening, it is truthful, deep, and has themes that might resonate. Lyrically, this album stands out from other new releases and should be held in some regard. 

Image from Shannon Garner via Euphoriazine.