if i could make it go quiet: Album Review

Since discovering girl in red last fall, I’ve joined the fans anticipating her debut album and finally it’s here. if i could make it go quiet, the debut album from girl in red, was released on Friday. The album was released through indie label AWAL and produced by girl in red herself, Marie Ulven, along with Matias Tellez and includes some production credit from Finneas O’Connell (aka Finneas, the brother of Billie Eilish). Throughout the past year girl in red released a few tracks in anticipation of the album including, “midnight love” and “Rue” last year, followed by “Serotonin” in March 2021 and “You Stupid Bitch” two weeks ago.

The album, as promised, features what we know and love about girl in red with a more mature feel. So yes, it’s indie pop/rock music about girls and love, but also with a jam about mental health and lacking serotonin. The quality of the record definitely feels more developed from girl in red’s earlier work too. This is the kind of album that could be the soundtrack to a solo drive in your car while on a road trip. I could also envision listening to this album while laying alone in a wide open field.

My early front-runners for favorite songs on the album are “Body And Mind”, “Serotonin”, which is an absolute banger, “You Stupid Bitch”, and “I’ll Call You Mine”. One thing I’ve always got from girl in red is that she doesn’t hold back in her writing. She says what she wants and it’s evident in so many of her tracks on the debut record. Listen to “Serotonin”, “Did You Come?”, and “hornylovesickness” if you want to see what I mean. I think this attribute to her music is what makes girl in red so great in her own way.

So far I feel like this year has had a slow start, both in general and musically, but even though we’re 5 months in, there’s still time. There’s plenty of potential for good things to happen and great new music to be released. girl in red’s debut album is one sign of that optimistic view for this year as it’s a solid indie album from front to back. Ironically, it boosted my serotonin and I hope it does the same for you as well.

girl in red

It seems like monthly posts have become my thing this year so I couldn’t let November end without something new to talk about. Back in September, I discovered a new artist that I really like. Thanks to watching Tik Tok compilations on Youtube, I heard her song “i wanna be your girlfriend” endless amounts of times and it got stuck in my head. I looked up the song and learned it was by an artist called girl in red. I heard of girl in red a few months beforehand and finally had that “OH! Okay, so that’s who that is!” moment.

girl in red, also known as Marie Ulven Ringheim, is a Norwegian indie pop singer-songwriter who releases her music straight from the comfort of her bedroom. While growing up, her grandfather gave her a guitar on Christmas. She credits him with getting her into music because of it. Her stage name, girl in red, came from describing herself while in a crowd to a friend via text message. She began releasing music to Soundcloud under the name in 2016. Her debut single was “i wanna be your girlfriend”.

girl in red released her first EP, Chapter 1, in 2018. It also included her new singles “summer depression” and “girls”. She began touring in 2018 as well, opening for Clairo during her Dublin and Paris shows. Then she opened for Conan Gray in early 2019 which was her first North American tour. She released her second EP, Chapter 2, in 2019. In late 2019, Ulven went on her first headlining tour which included dates in Europe and America. Her debut album World in Red was slated for an October 2020 arrival, but is still yet to be released. The first single from the album, “rue”, was released in late August.

When I first listened to girl in red, I called her the indie version of Hayley Kiyoko and I still stand by it. Ulven is openly gay and the subject matter of her music is representative of that much like Kiyoko’s. girl in red’s music is just way more indie/indie pop. It has also been described as bedroom pop.

Since discovering girl in red, I’ve been listening to her music here and there, even adding a song or two to my always go-to work out playlist. I really got into the song “bad idea!” and her cover of Maggie Rogers’ “Say It” during the past month and a half. I’m anticipating the release of girl in red’s debut album as I’m sure most of her fans are. It’ll be here before we know it too. Once touring resumes, I’m sure we’ll see girl in red out on the road especially with the fame she’s gained over the last year. She recently dropped the Christmas single “two queens in a king sized bed”. So this holiday season, check out that new single and while you’re at it check out all that girl in red has to offer. If you’re an indie fan, it won’t disappoint.