HIT ME HARD AND SOFT / Billie Eilish / May 17, 2024
- Joshua Yoo
- Jun 1, 2024
- 2 min read
Like much of Billie Eilish’s most captivating material, ‘HIT ME HARD AND SOFT’ lies under a specific guiding musical atmosphere and theme, here submerged in the drowning, chasmic murkiness of her vulnerabilities as a still impressively young songwriter. The album reflects a direct, self-assured approach to the music though, giving insight into her human identity more than anything else, and it’s arguably the most comfortable her and Finneas have ever sounded.
There’s a lot of evidence here that the darker, more portentous style of production really fits Billie well, as it did on much of her debut. Especially with the intimate (“SKINNY”) and heartbreaking (“WILDFLOWER”) acoustic balladry all over the album’s blueprint, her signature glassy vocal delivery feels so secure conveying the more nuanced and personal lyrical themes.
It’s also evident that the stylistic risks Billie takes are a result of both natural artistic growth and founded trust in Finneas as a producer. The cute, nocturnal dance floor groove of “CHIHIRO”or the uncharacteristic vocal magnitude on the open-arms romantic “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” are both a breath of fresh air in her catalogue, pushing her to express more and express differently. Some of these risks especially towards the end of the tracklist start to feel a little unwieldy in ambition (“L’AMOUR DE MA VIE”), but never disappointing.
By this album, it’s clear that there is an undeniable yearn for both Billie and Finneas not just to continually reinvent their sound, but also expend so much creative energy encapsulating their current stage of life so clearly into the music. In other words, it’s a treat to hear both the persona and the person.
Highlight(s): BIRDS OF A FEATHER, THE GREATEST, LUNCH, WILDFLOWER, SKINNY, CHIHIRO
Lowlight(s): THE DINER, L’AMOUR DE MA VIE
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