On her full-length debut,
Good Riddance, pop singer
Gracie Abrams focuses in and doubles down on the wispier ruminations of prior EPs, this time in full-on collaboration with
This Is What It Feels Like contributor
Aaron Dessner, who co-wrote and produced the entire album. Sounding and feeling a lot like a breakup album, a few of
Good Riddance's relationship songs were inspired by friendships and family in addition to a traditional breakup (from Grammy-winning producer
Blake Slatkin). Musically,
Abrams has cited tourmate
Taylor Swift as a musical idol, and
Swift is a well-known recipient of
Dessner's behind-the-scenes assistance, beginning with
folklore and
evermore. More so than those records,
Good Riddance is consistently soft-spoken and brooding as it moves through tracks that both dish out and take blame, such as plaintive opener "Best" ("I never was the best to you") and "I Should Hate You" ("Pulled the knife from my back, it was right where you left it"). Working with
Dessner connected
Abrams with some of the cream of the crop in indie sidemen, including his
National bandmates
Bryan Devendorf and
Bryce Dessner;
Rob Moose (strings, piano, orchestrations),
Thomas Bartlett (various keyboard instruments), and
Big Thief's
James Krivchenia (drums, percussion) are among others who contributed to the album. Award-winning producer
Matias Tellez (
girl in red,
AURORA) assisted
Dessner on two tracks ("I Know It Won't Work" and the quietly dancy "Where Do We Go Now?"), while none other than
Brian Eno co-produced spacy closer "Right Now."
Good Riddance marked
Abrams' first appearance on the Billboard 200, where it debuted at number 52. ~ Marcy Donelson