Album Review: Starting Today We Don’t Have To Pretend by Okay Alright
Words by Isabelle Turner
Telling stories about identity, love, empowerment, and letting go, Okay Alright’s latest album starting today we don’t have to pretend is an album to heal.
After I had the chance to sit down and talk to Bryce Waitkus, known professionally as Okay Alright, (read the full interview here), I was eagerly counting down this album’s release. Poetic and deeply emotional, Waitkus’ sophomore album exceeded all of my expectations.
Following his initial record, Everything Lost to the Light, the 13 track album is lyrically vulnerable and The album is titled from a poem Waitkus wrote in high school reflecting on self-discovery. These themes, while prevalent in their first album, are abundant in starting today we don’t have to pretend. The production of the track is incredibly unique. While polished, it incorporates spoken words to enhance the emotions behind the lyrics. The evolution of Waitkus’ voice, lyrics, and overall sound is seen clearly through this sequel to his debut album.
The album opens up with “poem for people who stay up late” a poem about nostalgia and reflection. The introduction track sets the precedent for the rest of the album as an expressive one. Starting the record off with an upbeat and joyous track, “tangerine” shows the diverse range that Okay Alright has within their music. “tangerine” combines folk and pop to create the perfect summer track. In contrast, “tangerine” is followed by the first single, “magnesium”. The melodic track’s lyrics glide beautifully over acoustic guitar and highlight the depth and complexity within Okay Alright’s music.
A development of the prior ballad, “even the little things” contains a steady beat, building as the piece continues. Reflecting on little things in life and the significance they can hold, this track is triumphant. Venturing into folk territory, “long exposures'', along with singles “nothingness” and “ride my bike 2 the ocean” are taken directly out of a coming of age movie. These tracks are feel-good and endlessly playable. “ride my bike 2 the ocean” is an evolution of an earlier poetic ballad from his debut album. Including this piece further emphasizes the further explorations of the same themes within their debut record.
Running the full gambit of emotions, “hotel keys”, “do you want to dance”, “the world isn’t trying to cause you harm”, and interlude “in the faint light from the lamppost in the garden” are ballads that emphasize immense change in one’s life. Utilizing the sound of rain in “in the faint light from the lamppost in the garden”, it is clear that Waitkus is amazingly thoughtful in both his lyrics and instrumentals.
The title track “starting today” fully encompasses the message of the record. Telling a story of youthfulness and love, the instrumentals in the track emphasize complex feelings of love and navigating the real world. Building into a cinematic bridge, what is so compelling about this track is the poem that carries the track out. Perhaps the most powerful line in the poem is, “you can’t grow without sometimes letting go of some things that you love”. Adding in this poem is a beautifully unique artistic choice that truly differentiates Waitkus from other artists. The ending track “picture of a flower” begins with a poem, paralleling “starting today”. This track is more reflective than the title song, but also builds to a triumphant bridge. “picture of a flower” ends the record with another poem by Waitkus, ending on emotional words, “in passing I told you that I was scared that the right thing might not always be the best thing”.
starting today we don’t have to pretend is made for healing, growing, and finding yourself. Okay Alright makes music that is purposeful and their most recent album further supports that he is an artist that will continue to change lives.
If you haven’t already listened to starting today we don’t have to pretend, you can listen on Spotify and Apple Music. Be sure to follow Okay Alright to hear more about the album.