Track by Track is a recurring feature series in which artists guide readers through each song on their latest release. Today, Blondshell guides us through her upcoming self-titled debut.
Indie rock artist Blondshell, aka Sabrina Teitelbaum, shared an EXCLUSIVE breakdown of every song on her self-titled debut album a day before its April 7 release.
On the first try, the Los Angeles-based songwriter creates an organic image of herself. Teitelbaum spent years exploring her identity as an artist in the realm of pop music before settling on a grunge-inspired record full of candid observation and reflection. blonde is a project rooted in self-discovery, both musically and in terms of individual growth which is reflected throughout the album.
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Teitelbaum’s reflections on love, loneliness, and identity capture the turbulent nature of her late adolescence. The track “Dangerous” reflects on Teitelbaum’s experience with social anxiety and how it affected her relationships after the COVID-19 lockdown.
“A lot of this has to do with social anxiety. Dating and relationships are a big deal, but I think social anxiety is just as important as treating it,” Teitelbaum says. a result. “I made a lot of new friends right after COVID because of how much my life had changed, and I had a little bit of a scare, like, ‘I haven’t really socialized in a year. I was in lockdown mode. I had social anxiety to begin with, but on top of that, I was cooped up in my apartment for a year.”
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The 1990s alternative rock-inspired album was also written by Patti Smith, Rebecca Solnit, Rachel Kosek, and Claire Sestanovich. Navigating the album’s highs and lows with ease, Teitelbaum switches between a raspy chest bass and a snarky vocal at times. Shock-bursting guitars are layered under Teitelbaum’s vocals, cutting tracks with urgency. On songs like “Kiss City” and “Sober Together,” Teitelbaum strips some of the grit out—creating ethereal, dreamlike melodies that perfectly balance the harder side of the album.
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