Olivia Rodrigo and the Agony of Youth
Just a quick note to say that, for this week, you’ll find my work over at FLOOD Magazine, where I wrote about the phenomenal new record from Olivia Rodrigo. GUTS is a step-up from the already top-tier SOUR— sharper, funnier, meaner, deeper, wiser, more assured, more absorbing from start to finish. As I note in my review, she writes about emotional complexity and internal contradiction with the kind of acuity that’s more often ascribed to guys like Jason Isbell and Zach Bryan (or, dare I say it, Taylor Swift). Also, she’s single-handedly bringing guitar rock to a new generation, all while exercising the funniest potty-mouth in all of pop music. Yet for all its charismatic venom and vulgarity, the album also creates a lot of space for interiority and confession. GUTS stands tall among the best albums of the year.
Songs to Sample: “Love is Embarrassing,” “Vampire,” “Get Him Back!”
The Hurst Review: 9.0 out of 10
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