Elle King - Shake the Spirit Album Review

Story posted October 25, 2018 in Arts & Entertainment by Scott Perdue.

The triumphantly returning Elle King is back with her second studio album, Shake the
Spirit
, an emotionally charged and powerful successor to her debut. Just recovering from an
abrupt divorce, King channeled into her music all of her feelings about the many difficult life
experiences she had been facing, leading Shake the Spirit to become her most transparent album
to date.

Making a huge splash with her hit “Ex’s and Oh’s,” King took the world by storm with
her debut album. Known for her signature raspy voice and her promiscuous lyricism, King was
able to give a country-diva feel to the alternative genre. Taking on the challenges that many
sudden stars face, King got wrapped up in a dissolving marriage all the while battling with her
dependency on drugs and alcohol.

Returning with an album that is even stronger and more emotionally revealing, Shake the Spirit divulges into topics such as drug abuse, depression and regretful sex with a point of view that is beyond all the trauma and ready to move forward with a hopeful new outlook. As King had stated in an interview with Billboard magazine, “I made an album while I navigated my way through heartbreak.” The listener is taken on that journey with King as she gets lost and then returns, now back and better than ever.

Opening with the aggressive, “Talk of the Town,” King tells the story of a man who uses
women for sex with no remorse. The song allows King to let loose and enjoy the flow while also
getting a few jabs in about men who cheat. The next track, “Baby Outlaw,” kicks the album into
the next gear with a strong showcasing of King’s powerful vocals. She takes control and asserts
her new-found strength, declaring “I ain’t nobody’s baby, baby, I’m an outlaw." The next song,
“Shame,” is able to maintain the album’s powerful momentum. Exhibiting a confident King
backed up by a male chorus, she jams out with a catchy backtrack that grabs the listener and
pulls them in.

Throughout the album, the listener is brought in, sometimes closer than expected, and is
shown new sides of King’s life as she divulges into her traumatic past. Taking on an almost
sixties girl group-esque style, the somber, “Runaway,” speaks to how King feels she is unable to
be loved and has always been running from her past. An interestingly modernized version of a
call back style, the slowed and fragile feel of the song is able to experiment with a seemingly
Patsy Cline and Dolly Parton kind of flare while still feeling current. Moving between moments
of hard and soft, Shake the Spirit gives King her chance to reveal her scars and delve into how
she’s moved past them while also working in perspectives that show her new-found strength and
her persistent, durable side. One such example is the song, “Man’s Man” which exhibits a now
confident King, accusing her former lover of cheating, all the while with a tone that shows she is
able to roll with the punches. The song utilizes a far harsher and clashing base which really
underscores King’s frustrations and naturally transitions the album to exhibit a far stronger and
confident attitude.

One of the most unapologetic tracks on the album is “It Girl,” which exhibits the same
signature provocative charm found on King’s, “Ex’s and Oh’s." Opening with the lines, “You
know I hate to wait, so, I always put out on the first date,” King holds nothing back as she playfully sings about her past sexual experiences. The album moves fairly consistently but at times gets a little lost, leading to some tracks blending together and lacking memorability, which really drains the energy from such an otherwise powerful album. However, when the tracks do pack a punch such as the confident closer, “Little Bit of Lovin’,” they really do leave an impression in the listener’s mind and are able to regain some of the focus which the few lacking tracks had diverted from.

A very strong and cohesive second album, Shake the Spirit, showcases King at her most
revealing and yet her most powerful. Able to utilize her heartbreak in a way that proves her
resilience, King has provided her listeners with an encapsulated journey of her fight to take back
her life, of which she has now taken control of and is ready to begin living once again. A very
exciting entry into King’s discography, hopefully King will be able to maintain her emotionally
energized style and utilize it with the same effectiveness on a future release.

Rating: 7/10

 

 

Scott Perdue is a sophomore majoring in film/video. To contact him, email rsp5246@psu.edu.