The title Underdressed At The Symphony encapsulates the enchantment of Faye Webster. She’s cool and stylish sufficient to attend such an occasion, however winds up protruding like a sore thumb within the viewers, probably not belonging to the older, refined demographic. Her songs are stunning sprawls that masterfully meld collectively indie pop, nation twang, and R&B, but they’re stuffed with endearing, playful asides that betray her age, like on 2019’s “Kingston” when she sings, “He stated, ‘Child’ — that’s what he referred to as me — ‘I like you.’” On her final album, 2021’s I Know I’m Humorous haha, she intones about her companion’s sister, “She stated I’m humorous after which I thanked her/ However I do know I’m humorous haha.”
It’s no marvel that TikTok is without doubt one of the elements driving her songs to virality. This type of humor feels immediately correlated to the web — “underdressed on the symphony” may simply be a tweet — which is sensible since Webster is 26, simply making the Gen Z minimize. Loads of her lyrics use the identical informal, sardonic tone that permeates on-line spheres, and Webster leans into it on Underdressed At The Symphony. One monitor known as “eBay Buy Historical past”: “You must see my eBay buy historical past/ You would study rather a lot about me,” she lulls.
The album, although, begins with “Pondering About You,” six-and-a-half minutes of Webster’s relaxed craving. It’s engaging because the bassline fades in, but it surely turns into repetitive. Beginning with such a prolonged monitor is a stunning selection for somebody whose fame largely erupted from TikTok; perhaps it’s higher for her to go on this route then to begin churning out one- or two-minute songs. However too many songs on Underdressed At The Symphony unfold out to nowhere — like “Lifetime,” one other occasion of her floundering, the five-minute track repeating the chorus “in a lifetime” 22 instances whole, the guitars sluggish and quiet, not notably participating.
“However Not Kiss” captures Webster at her strongest. The breathtaking ballad reckons together with her indecisive romance: “I wish to see you in my desires, however then neglect/ We’re meant to be, however not but/ You’re all that I’ve, however can’t get,” she sings in her delicate soprano. The devices mimic her fickle perspective, ricocheting between a hushed silence and a surge of attractive sound conjured by drum, bass, pedal metal guitar, and a cheeky piano line. Right here, she will not be a girl misplaced amongst opulent viewers members at a symphony; she is the symphony. It’s the perfect instance of utilizing sprawl to her benefit, the place it feels just like the track’s construction has no guidelines — there’s a full five-second pause at one level. When she utters the repeating chorus of “Yeah, yeah,” the devices comply with her lead, and you may think about a crowd of individuals chanting the 2 phrases alongside together with her, fingers within the air.
“Lego Ring” is one other spotlight. Like “However Not Kiss,” it strikes forwards and backwards between quick and sluggish, a dynamic that the album may use much more of. Although the track is predicated round a foolish idea, it’s deeply felt: “I, I do know what I like/ I do know what I would like/ However you already know I kinda want,” she harmonizes with Lil Yachty. It’s an ideal pairing — they first met in center faculty in Atlanta. His Auto-Tuned voice subtly floats above hers, and his verse provides extra layers of entertaining lightheartedness: “Me and also you the dream staff/ All the time collectively like string beans.”
Webster drenches her personal voice in autotune for the R&B-leaning monitor “Feeling Good At the moment,” on which she recounts her day in an in depth stream-of-consciousness: “I bought paid yesterday/ I’ll most likely purchase one thing dumb/ As a result of I’m fairly infantile,” she speak-sings. It feels much less like a track than it does a FaceTime with a pal, and it epitomizes the period of confessional, generally too colloquial lyricism we’re in. The web has precipitated zoomers to gravitate towards artwork that exudes relatability, typically to a self-abasing extent for the sake of a joke.
Equally, “He Loves Me Yeah!” rings like an indie-rock anthem for all the ladies taking part within the current “coquette” trend on-line, carrying pink ribbons of their hair and making an attempt to revive the time period “uwu.” The track swings with pleasure as she proclaims that her companion — who she refers to as her “bb” — loves her, however she sings with an nearly annoying sense of childishness as she brags, “My bb loves me, yeah/ He loves me, yeah/ He say he miss me, then I say it again.” However towards the top, Webster redeems the track’s immaturity with a pointy, informal flip into salaciousness: “My bb loves me, yeah/ He loves me, yeah/ I actually like the best way he holds me down.” It’s a rewarding twist, sudden sufficient to make a listener gasp or blush (or each).
Underdressed At The Symphony is at its finest when Webster can shock the listener. Her elegant melancholy soars by way of the title monitor as she drawls, “I’m depriving myself of happiness/ One thing I’m actually good at,” her voice cushioned by mesmeric pedal metal. In a while, in the identical track, she sings, “I do know you haven’t instructed your mom but/ As a result of she invited me over once more/ However I’m not shocked/ It’s one thing you do on a regular basis.” It’s a crushing confession, revealing what the track is definitely about: heartbreak. It turns into much more evocative as she continues: “I’m underdressed on the symphony/ Crying to songs that you just put me on.” On the phrase “symphony,” an orchestra interrupts her with a rushed, spiraling crescendo. These dangers are particularly enchanting, particularly when a lot of the album feels stagnant.
There are various shifting moments on Underdressed At The Symphony, however there are additionally too many forgettable stretches that lack momentum. It’s instructive that, quite than go for an enormous end, nearer “Tttttime” simply pleasantly ambles alongside. The guitars are tame as Webster narrates a median day, “I get misplaced in a track/ Take a stroll, name my mother.” Violins emerge towards the top, however they don’t actually carry the track anyplace. Possibly Webster doesn’t want the track to go anyplace; she’s proud of the place it’s. Maybe her followers can be, too — perhaps they don’t want her witty one-liners or an orchestra’s crescendo. Underdressed At The Symphony appears extra centered on vibes. Whereas it has its share of show-stoppers, it feels just a little too informal. However then once more, perhaps she’s earned the correct to only sit back, to be underdressed.
