Album Review: , Willow

As an artist who has been influential in reviving the pop-punk genre in recent years, Willow initially established her musical dexterity in her last album, lately I feel EVERYTHING. Alongside her evolving punk prowess, Willow rose to even greater popularity through ‘Wait a Minute!’, released in 2015. Currently, the track has been streamed a mind-blowing 765 million times on Spotify, along with its acclaim on the widely used social platform TikTok. From unique dance challenges to hilariously relatable trends, ‘Wait a Minute!’ has notably inspired other creators to share their passions. I strongly believe her newest album has the same empowering potential for pretty much every song on the track-list. 

<COPINGMECHANISM> unleashes a new sense of maturity within Willow’s music making. From alt-rock guitar thrashing to gritty grunge pop vocals, there is something to capture everyone’s attention. Opening with a powerful impact, ‘<maybe> it’s my fault’ and ‘Falling Endlessly’ unpack the singer’s various imperfections accompanied by both passionate musicianship and storytelling abilities, which are further discussed in later tracks.    

We take a step back from the undeniable rock presence, as we listen to ‘curious/furious’ and ‘WHY?’, which take a gentler approach. That’s not to say these songs don’t build to a catchy chorus – as this element is signature to Willow’s sound. However, the slower pace enables listeners to resonate with the relatable themes present within the stories: self-acceptance and self-love.

From this point on, there is a wonderful amalgamation of musicality, toying back and forth between high-intensity punk and refreshing lo-fi inflections. By highlighting her idiosyncratic fusions, it allows the listener to fully experience Willow’s musical journey, as she explores the struggles of life lessons through fascinating modes of creativity such as the electronic/robotic vocal sounds featured in ‘Perfectly Not Close To Me’ (ft. Yves Tumor). When listening to this album, one can’t help to identify potential inspirations such as Avril Lavigne, a queen of the pop-punk 2000s era. It’s nostalgic to hear similar sounds re-imagined and re-modelled to fit with a younger generation.      

Finally, ‘BATSHIT!’ comes full circle to close the album with a bang! It just shows how effortlessly Willow can shift her voice to suit both a ballad style and a surprising rock-metal vibe, as demonstrated on this closing song. With distinctive guitar melodies and driving drum beats, ‘BATSHIT!’ really does evoke a sense of craziness – and in my opinion a perfect finale.         

It’s safe to say that <COMPINGMECHANISM> identifies Willow’s innate musical path – a winding route that examines a remarkable yet relatable adventure of self-reflection with a hint of harmonious genre-interlacing, yet ultimately arrives back at her punk-rock home. This is an album not to be missed.