Some albums come into this world seeking your time and attention. Others demand it, and only a few truly live up to that expectation. This new release from GIRLI is one of them.

The album opens with “Blue Sky” and instantly you sense that something special is about to unfold. Especially once the vocals begin, there's that feeling that this is an artist who is unafraid, unapologetic, and oh so abundantly talented. It's a great song and a perfect way to open the album.

While overtly a banging pop track, the lyrics in “Slap On The Wrist” hint at something much darker beneath the surface. I'm hoping this isn't autobiographical, but I also know this kind of thing happens day after day. Part of me loves the candidness and the refusal to be silenced, while another part of me just feels anger. Either way, it makes for another standout track.

The next song, “Pedestal”, explores something I think most of us have experienced at one time or another, putting someone so far above ourselves that they begin to feel untouchable. Admittedly, for me, those feelings were several lifetimes ago, but I remember them well. The heart leaping into your throat, becoming effectively tongue-tied, overthinking every little interaction. This track wraps all of that up inside an infectious beat, with lyrics that evoke those memories vividly.

“Don't Make Me Cry” lowers the tempo slightly, but it's the lyrics I can't stop focusing on. That's not to say the music is ordinary or perfunctory, far from it, but for some reason the words have me completely hooked. Maybe I'm reliving old memories through them, or perhaps they're simply evoking that sense of youth where your whole life feels stretched out ahead of you, where emotions swing wildly between feeling invincible one moment and anxious and vulnerable the next.

The lyrics in "Bones" could describe a simple crush, or perhaps two people who feel exactly the same way but are both too afraid to take the risk. Growing up can be painfully complicated. I'm happily married now and those thoughts are long behind me, but I can still remember those all consuming emotions, usually accompanied by inner turmoil and inevitable heartbreak. So much is condensed into three minutes of perfect pop.

In "Lifestyle", there's a chord progression in the verse that sounds ever so familiar, and the whole section has a comfortable, almost nostalgic feel. When the chorus arrives, however, the song truly comes alive with a very different energy. Once again, it's the lyrics that effortlessly paint a story of love, loss and, I think, acceptance, while still holding on to the hope that the shared experience was more than just a passing phase.

For me, while "Romantic Sadness" is a perfectly good song, it didn't strike the same chord as the previous songs. I think this is one of the songs where the music feels the stronger part of the composition, as the lyrics didn't quite engage.

The same can't be said for "Squirm", which very much has the feel of a pop hit. There's something about the track that reminded me of early-2000s Avril Lavigne. The lyrics may not be quite as family-friendly, but I think that's one of the things that elevates the song even further. Once again, it's drawing from life's experiences and bringing them vividly to life. Sometimes those experiences can be difficult to hear about when you're caught in the middle of the maelstrom, but much easier to reflect on when viewed through the lens of years gone by.

"Light in the Dark" shares those same pop sensibilities, and it's easy to be swept up in the track. Yet, once again, it's the lyrics that keep drawing me back. They give the song a very different character and, once you focus on them, the underlying sorrow becomes impossible to ignore. It highlights the raw longing at the heart of the song in a way that is almost heartbreaking.

I think "Traces" is very much a song about reflection and letting go, even when that's made difficult by the lingering traces of someone left behind. The energy is dialled back a little and, while it's certainly an enjoyable track, for me it serves primarily as a gentle segue into what follows.

And indeed, "Better Undressed" is very much that song. Here, the lyrics and music work in perfect harmony, driving the track forward with effortless momentum. I particularly love the line, "You were gasoline and I was like a lighter". While it's easy to forget that Amelia is from England, something further emphasised by her use of the word "gasoline", her accent shines through on the word "lighter". Now, I don't want her to become self-conscious about it. Quite the opposite. I love hearing people's natural accents in music, and I think they add an extra layer of character and authenticity to a song.

The album closes with "The Answer", and it feels very much like a reflection on an awakening, a moment of sudden clarity after everything that has come before. There's a warmth and sense of acceptance running through the track, making it a fitting conclusion to an album that has explored love, loss and self-discovery. It's a sweet song and closes the album out beautifully.

I think this album has two distinct personalities. It can be enjoyed simply as a pop record, carried from song to song and caught up in its infectious charm. The other side of the coin is the lyrics, the wordplay, invention and apparent honesty that sit underneath it all.

It's probably obvious that I'm not the target demographic here, but that's the beauty of music. You either connect with it or you don't. While I may have leaned heavily into the lyrical side of things, the music itself is the glue that holds everything together.

This is an absolutely fantastic album. It explores a wide range of feelings and emotions, but does so unapologetically, and I think that's its greatest strength. GIRLI knows exactly what she wants to say and says it without hesitation, delivering it in a way that makes for genuinely compelling pop music.