(Cover photo via Britanica AI)

BILLIE EILISH, Hit Me Hard and Soft (Darkroom/Interscope, 2024)

One of my goals moving forward is to take a little time out of my day to pull myself out of my musical comfort zone. Specifically, to find out what’s trending, as the music I enjoy rarely is. That is how I landed on Billie Eilish and her 2024 album Hit Me Hard and Soft.

Full disclosure: Thanks to the HBO series True Detective, Eilish’s music is not completely new to me. The show used her song “Bury a Friend” from the 2019 album When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? I was taken by the song’s darkness and groove, and was more than a little surprised when I learned who the performer was. So, I took a little time to stream the album. Within minutes, I was ordering my own CD. But, like so much good music I hear, the album got pushed aside for the new music I was receiving for review.

So, it wasn’t that big of a stretch to check out … Hard and Soft when I saw a couple of its tunes were trending today. Having heard the album, I could see why.

I really enjoy Eilish’s airy, ethereal voice, along with the electronic grooves created with her brother Finneas O’Connel. They remind me of the trip-hop grooves that were popular in the nineties. … Hard and Soft has no shortage of these grooves, starting with one of the trending tunes, “Birds of a Feather.” Eilish has found a way to sound nicely up to date while simultaneously embracing what was great about the trip-hop era.

That formula is pulled into something haunting with the other trending rune, “Wildflower.” The formula is there, along with a delicate acoustic guitar line I feel compelled to learn. Anything that makes me reach for my guitar or bass speaks volumes to my personal enjoyment.

The more I think on it, the more I wish I could see Eilish in concert. Thing is, I refuse to see concerts in arenas or stadiums, where she currently resides. But if she ever snuck in a club gig, I’d be there.

For now, I’ll have to settle former rock-sold album and wait for what lies around the corner.

#cirdecsongs

If you would like to have your album reviewed or have your band photographed while playing live in Chicago, contact me at cirdecsongs@gmail.com