Album Review: Pronoun – i’ll show you stronger

Posted: by The Editor

“Indie-emo-bedroom-rock-that-no-one-asked-for.” That’s how Brooklyn-based, emo-pop artist Alyse Vellturo describes her entire brand as a musician. For years, she’s been building up her sound as she’s squared away writing and recording in the comfort of her own apartment, piecing together exactly what her project, pronoun, could become at maximum capacity. Following in the footsteps of her 2016 debut EP, There’s no one new around you, that featured non-stop melodic beats and heavy-hitting lyrics consumed by heartbreak, the release of her first LP, i’ll show you stronger, acts as a more vigorous and sturdy version of that body of work. If anything, it seems like i’ll show you stronger is the older sister of Vellturo’s past projects, still wrapped in emotional vulnerability but offering wise words and a shoulder to cry on all while, seemingly, having her shit together. Because if there’s one thing that’s certain about pronoun’s debut record, it’s that Vellturo is making sure the music scene is fully aware she’s got her shit together.

With little expertise in the world of production, her one-woman-band being nurtured and bred from her apartment, Vellturo continuously churns out dazzling hits that glitter and gleam with peppy-melodies, alluring vocals, and guitar-led pop tunes. It’s almost annoying how gifted she is when one listens to i’ll show you stronger, in full, never knowing that the entire record wasn’t pumped through a professional studio setting. It presents itself like a veteran-crafted project of pop that knows exactly how to pull on the heartstrings while never wavering from the brighter sound it was built from. It helps one dance away their sadness with infectious earworms, which is a key indicator of a solid pop-record.

Not to mention, the full-length has a way of feeling like it was created to be the sole soundtrack of an 80’s coming-of-age movie, featuring 12 songs that could fit seamlessly into any iconic scene of the characters as they navigate through the film. The catchy hushes of the opener, “you’re not trying at all,” could be played alongside Mollie Ringwald as she enters the school dance in Sixteen Candles. An absolute powerhouse of a track, “run,” showcasing Vellturo’s lush range and highlighting how much electrifying guitars can drive a good pop song, could be overlaid any male protagonist as he realizes he can’t let the girl get away. The buzzing melodics of “sadie” could fade-in as the credits roll on any Bratpack movie. The irresistible stand-out “wrong” could blast after Amanda Peterson calls out Patrick Dempsey’s phony charade at her NYE party in Can’t Buy Me Love. The zesty, sonically-swept “temporary tantrum” would most definitely have been the background of Alan Ruck’s character taking a stand against his father in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off. All while the sugary-punch and stirring guitars of synth-favorite “stay” would be applauded for being the music to the famous dancing library scene in The Breakfast Club.

For a debut record, Alyse Vellturo hit hard. i’ll show you stronger is 41 minutes of addictive beats, sultry vocals and soaring production full of expressive lyrics that delivers on every front. There’s no time to get bored when bopping along to the dreamy landscape she’s created here that almost masks how melancholic the theme of the record truly is. Being her strongest release to date, i’ll show you stronger is more than enough to get started. In fact, with just this album, she’s proven herself to be a strong contender as one of the best emo-pop artists out there.

Disappointing / Average / Good / Great/ Phenomenal


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Hope Ankney | @hope_ankleknee


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