Caroline Says – ‘The Lucky One’ album review: bittersweetness thrives in rewritten memories
THE SKINNY: The follow-up to 50 Million Elvis Fans Can’t Be Wrong and No Fool Like An Old Fool was always going to be a tricky one. Caroline Says, otherwise known as Caroline Sallee, has been a torchbearer of heartwrenching, self-reflective, and intricate compositions since she emerged on the scene, covering the relatable complexities of love and loss and the ambiguous nature of a healing heart.
The Lucky One, however, lives up to all expectations, adorned with Sallee’s signature vulnerability but with the bonus of clarity. Throughout this album, she sings with purpose, chronicling her journeys of the heart through various memories of hitting the road, hitting up late-night bars, and finding yourself in the heat of losing the one you love.
One stark theme overriding the entire album is something so few of us recognise in life—how memories can be written by the heart, causing us to reckon with a misconstrued reality that serves only to harm or stagnate healing. It’s the ultimate clash, one we often view dramatically or overwhelmingly sweet, but which, more often than not, has its roots in fabrications of the mind as it tortures us to remember everything we supposedly lost.
As Sallee explained, discussing ‘Faded and Golden’ in particular, “Relationships are, first and foremost, ideas. That’s what allows relationships to persist even when we’re apart.” She continued, “We may yearn for an old friend or lover, especially one from our teenage years and our hometown. But there is a bittersweetness to any reunion. They may shatter the memory we’ve made of them.”
The Lucky One holds this bittersweetness near and dear, much like the old muse that our minds twist into new realities, swirling in the space where vulnerability is all there is before the strength to move on finally appears on the horizon.
For fans of: Entertaining rose-tinted glasses for productive wallowing.
A concluding comment from a physicist: “All love is, for this metaphor, is a laborious facet of the space-time continuum and the epiphany that all of humanity is a product of the relativity of time.”
The Lucky One track by track:
Release date: October 11th | Producer: Jess Ferronato | Label: Caroline Sallee
‘The Lucky One’: As if sitting alone at a table-for-one candlelit dinner, The Lucky One opens with gorgeous intimacy, sitting somewhere in between listening in on an old friend and words you might utter yourself. It’s ghostly, charming, and the perfect scene setting for the rest of the record. [3.5/5]
‘Faded and Golden’: Some album tracks stand out for a reason, whether it’s the timeless quality of an endearing melody or the inviting aura of a good set of musical arrangements. ‘Faded and Golden’ ticks all the boxes, earning its title as the record’s defining track with its perfect mix of accessibility and self-reflection. [4/5]
‘Actors’: Whenever a track begins with a nostalgic play of delicate finger-picking, it’s almost guaranteed to pull on the heartstrings. ‘Actors’ is a dulcet affair, sitting beside a vintage fireplace in that strange space between last year’s festivities and this year’s new beginnings. [3.5/5]
‘Eyes in the Night’: Taking a somewhat unexpected tone from the rest of the tracks so far, ‘Eyes in the Night’ provides the perfect getaway, its delicate rhythms and ethereal vocals feeling more akin to embracing a new chapter and expressing gratitude towards the prospect of finally moving on. [3/5]
‘Palm Reader’: Relationships are always an interesting ride of up and down, and usually, people bail the moment it reaches the darker sides instead of committing and working through life’s oddities. ‘Palm Reader’ feels like an ode to those waves, the beauty that overrides the bad, and the purpose of finding yourself amid the uncertainties. [3.5/5]
‘Dust’: Another finger-picking gem, ‘Dust’ is simple, stripped-back, and entirely telling of Caroline Says’ holistic talent. Throughout this record, simplicity speaks louder, applying an overt reliability to the more complex realms that the singer knows all too well. [3.5/5]
‘Always Looking Back’: Peering slowly like the morning’s delicate ocean waves, ‘Always Looking Back’ builds slowly, the forthcoming rhythms communicating the ebb and flow of having your heart involved in something you know will challenge everything you thought you knew. [4/5]
‘Roses’: Each track on The Lucky One holds its own world, encompassing visions of nostalgia-ridden emotions. ‘Roses’ harkens back to the good and the bad with a heart-thumping purpose, creating a space where the rawness of hindsight meets the golden days of before. [3.5/5]
‘Daze’: As memories fade, the heart often battles with rewritten lines, misconstruing everything we thought we knew to be true. ‘Daze’ isn’t necessarily brimming with clarity, but it encompasses those odd moments of reflection well as the piano line draws on elements of both liberation and melancholy. [3.5/5]
‘Lightning’: Moving on isn’t linear, and sometimes it’s easy to entertain the ghost of someone despite not knowing anything about them anymore. ‘Lightning’ is an honest dive into holding on to something, or someone—even though time has passed and everybody has moved on. [3.5/5]
‘Like We Do’: Adorned with another gorgeous piano layer, ‘Like We Do’ is imperfect in its vulnerability, almost like a solid reflection of the heart’s condition when slathered with all the complex musings of two souls intertwined. [3.5/5]
‘Something Good’: Sometimes the perfect album closer is one that wraps up all other themes in one, ending on a high and condensing the album’s message in just a number of minutes. ‘Something Good’, on the other hand, is a more delicate final bow, almost like a fade to black in its sincerity but perfect in its conjecture nonetheless. [3.5/5]
Never Miss A Beat
The Far Out New Music Newsletter
All the latest New Music from the independent voice of culture.
Straight to your inbox.