by Carly Rae Jepsen
Released October 21, 2022 via 604 Records / Schoolboy / Interscope
Reviewed November 6, 2022
Top tracks (based on community voting)
The Loneliest Time (44%), Surrender My Heart (41%), Talking To Yourself (37%)
At her best, Carly Rae Jepsen creates disco-infused pop that balances a fun and carefree attitude with emotionally tender songwriting. Not quite intimate or overly personal, but even in its broad-reaching relatability, Jepsen’s songwriting since 2015’s E•MO•TION has always felt genuine. The Loneliest Time isn’t a complete regression, but it certainly doesn’t build upon anything Jepsen has yet to put out.
The grooves are tight, the basslines are incredibly strong, and the synths are as shimmery as you could hope for. There aren’t many complaints you could make about the production, with its sort of revitalized take on ‘80s synthpop/disco-pop. The music is catchy and bouncy, but it all feels too formulaic and rehashed.
Similarly, Jepsen’s lyrics fall just a bit flat, never reaching that aforementioned sweet spot of sincerity and relatability. It draws on feelings of vulnerability and opening, heartbreak and rekindled love, and many of the common emotions that come alongside the ups and downs of relationships. She props up the kind of feelings that you’d expect to be straight from the heart; but through the cliches and vague narratives they take shape in, it feels more like they were plucked from a series of focus groups. – Dominick (6.2/10)
Pax: 7.8/10 | Jared: 7.5/10 | DeVán: 6.5/10 | Dominick: 6.2/10
