Billie Eilish -WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO Album Review

Story posted April 9, 2019 in

Billie Eilish is an intriguing personality on top of being a talented musician. Her newest album, "WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?" is no exception. This alternative pop album features sounds that are unique and dream-like, with a mysterious atmosphere encompassing it. The slow, melancholic tunes are only the backbone to this layered piece, that upon multiple listens will fully register. Eilish has created a record that is sonically fantastic, yet almost inaccessible to those on the first listen, though that does not mean it is anything but a good piece.

The album consists of 14 tracks, clocking in at around 43 minutes of listening time. As mentioned, the sounds on this record are very dream-like, appearing in most tracks across the work, such as "bad guy," "you should see me in a crown" and "wish you were gay." In addition, it uses multiple samples across different mediums, such as dialogue from NBC's "The Office" appearing on "my strange addiction" and fellow rapper and musician Crooks on "bury a friend," which sounds like an entirely different source altogether. The album is a bizarre hodgepodge of inconsistently paired sounds, yet the appeal of it is what is able to hold it together. These pieces are so distanced from each other that their style and theme of being so far apart essentially fixes the problem.

This genre of alternative pop is not for everyone, however. Those who are fans of new wave pop artists such as Ariana Grande and Halsey can definitely compare Eilish to them, though her tendency to dabble into the weird and otherworldly techniques of mixing and editing her tracks is what makes it so different from the rest. In addition, her lyrics are not necessarily the strongest as compared to those other artists; while there are a few tracks that do explore Eilish's mind more than others, the album is mostly filled with songs that are required to listen more than once to pick up on properly.

"WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?" is an album that is as much of an enigma as Billie Eilish herself: It is very confusing and on the first run, yet radiates an endearing and charming feeling that tempts the listener to return to it. In an industry that is full of wallowing pop artists, Eilish sets to make herself stand out among the rest by playing against the conventions of what makes pop interesting and turning it on its head. The hypnotic, almost lulling sounds from start to finish make it one of the more notable records this year so far, as well as making Eilish a more well-established and notable artist on her own. "WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO?" is an album that provides an introspection into how Billie Eilish thinks about herself, her life as well as existential topics such as love and dealing with self conflict in general. The haunting tunes can ring well after multiple listens, but still worth it nonetheless.

Rating: 6/10
Favorite Track: “you should see me in a crown”
Least Favorite Track: “8”

 

 

Jack Grossman is a junior majoring in telecommunications. To contact him, email jackdgrossman@gmail.com.