Grace is one of the few soul artists to have emerged this year. Considering how much this genre tends to be overlooked by mainstream charts, the Australian’s album has done remarkably well.
Grace possesses a soulful, raspy, yet powerful voice reminiscent of Amy Winehouse, while her lyrics recall pop singers Meghan Trainor and Lily Allen. FMA (“Forgive My Attitude”) is like a musical and lyrical expression of #sorrynotsorry - and this theme extends throughout the album.
Opener Church On Sunday has a 60's groove. In it, she acknowledges her indifference to people who want a relationship with her, an attitude she thinks she can fix if she goes to church.
The album is a mix of jazz, soul and hip hop influences. There are empowering songs like Hell Of A Girl, and You Don’t Own Me, and more upbeat tracks like Feel Your Love and Boys Boys Boys.
The standout track is the guitar lullaby Coffee, on which Grace expresses passion for a boy, though the lyrics, describing someone who’s never around, will make you wonder how they can make it work.
The album balances lyrical and musical ingenuity, and proves adding new ingredients to old soul can work brilliantly.