Only a year after the release of her debut album, “Good Riddance,” Gracie Abrams released her highly anticipated sophomore album, “The Secret of Us,” June 21. The album, which Abrams herself described as “extroverted,” focuses on themes of relationships: with herself, her past lover, her friends and a crush. The album is produced by The National member and frequent Taylor Swift collaborator Aaron Dessner, marking the second collaboration between Abrams and Dessner. At its best, “The Secret of Us” demonstrates Abrams’ growth as an artist.
She began this era with “Risk,” the album’s first single. The song’s chorus talks about the fear of falling in love with someone. While in her earlier works she may have strayed away from uncertainty, Abrams boldly sings “You’re the risk, I’m gonna take it.”
The second single and the album’s closer, “Close to You,” expresses similar feelings as “Risk.” The songs are fast-paced and hopeful compared to Abrams’ earlier work, while still reflecting the anxious thoughts that have become quintessential to her sad-girl sound. In the chorus of these singles, Abrams’ voice beams with confidence, a quality her music has often lacked. She tends to keep her voice reserved, opting for a whispery quality that suggests uncertainty. “Risk” and “Close to You” mark a notable change in Abrams’ approach to unknown situations. While she still has her reservations, she is choosing the bolder route.
The rest of the album, however, felt less hopeful. With simple guitar instrumentals in nearly every verse, the singles felt almost misleading to the ethos of the record — over half of the tracks focus on Abrams’ sadness and confusion over the end of a relationship.
Her songwriting, particularly within the bridges, is reminiscent of Swift’s style — full of metaphors and references to history and literature. It seemed only fitting for Abrams and Swift to combine their talents for the album’s fifth track, “us.”
Thematically, the song acts as the record’s emotional center and boasts the most impressive writing. Unsurprisingly, the bridge is where the song shines. The duo references author Robert Bly, a leader in the mythopoetic men’s movement, as a way to criticize Abrams’ ex-lover: “Robert Bly on my nightstand / Gifts from you, how ironic / The curse or a miracle / Hearse or an oracle.” Using prophetic language builds the emotion that Abrams introduces with her vocals. During the bridge, Abrams’ voice is strong and unwavering — she remembers details of the relationship exactly as they occurred. This delivery makes the song’s overarching question — “Do you regret the secret of us?” — all the more devastating.
She sticks with the topic of heartbreak with “Gave You I Gave You I” as she dwells on the sadness that comes with realizing one person gave more to the relationship. In true Abrams nature, her vocals seem almost distant at the song’s start as she sings about her embarrassment and confusion over giving so much of herself to someone who ultimately used her. By the chorus, she sounds as though she is pleading with the subject, adding more emotional strain to her whispery tone.
This breathy, hopeless sound is evident across all the heartbreak-themed tracks in “The Secret of Us.” When paired with her gut-wrenching lyrics, Abrams immerses her listener into this post-breakup reality with the slow strum of a guitar.
Despite the strong overarching theme of romance present on the album, it’s not the only subject the 24-year-old tackles. In “Tough Love,” Abrams sings: “No chance I’d waste my twenties on random men / Not one of them is cooler than all my friends.” It’s no coincidence that the album is co-written by Abrams’ longtime friend Audrey Hobert. The pair have been friends since childhood, with Hobert earning references in Abrams’ songs since her debut EP “minor.” This track, in particular, embodies the happier tone Abrams described the album as having. She is not sad about being single, but instead sees it as an opportunity for self-growth.
Though the album largely focuses on the loss of love, Abrams’ lyrics focus on her experience and understanding that “That’s just the way life goes,” which she sings in “I Love You, I’m Sorry.” In “I Knew It, I Know You,” she sings, “I can’t pretend I’m sorry / When I’m not sorry.” She realizes that she hurt this person, but it goes against her morals to apologize for her actions when she never received an apology.
Abrams uses the project’s earlier songs to build to “Free Now,” the penultimate track and emotional release for the record. The first two verses and choruses are sung in a tone close to Abrams’ speaking voice over a slow beat, with statements like: “I hope you know I don’t think / You’re a bad guy.” She empathizes with the prior heartbreak that left him unable to love her. The beat then intensifies as Abrams sings the bridge. While the verses are slow and restrained, the bridge is fast-paced and a cathartic release. She tells her muse: “It’s a pain that I caught you at a bad time.” She then slows it down again and eases the pounding beat to sing the outro where she proclaims she is “free now,” — presumably from the torment of wondering what will happen with this lover.
Abrams started her career by writing songs that were born from her diary entries. With now over 20 million monthly listeners on Spotify and collaborations with some of music’s biggest names, Abrams has held on to her style. Her lyrics are painstakingly truthful and poetic, full of metaphors that make common experiences seem life-altering. “The Secret of Us” marks a new era for the performer, who is scheduled to perform at Boston’s MGM Music Hall Oct. 9.
