Lissie Channels All Her Emotions In "Castles"

As an artist, letting out emotions is one of the most important things you want to get in touch with. Lissie channels all her emotions in Castle, a ballad-filled album with beautiful imagery.

Castle is a dramatic album, but in the right ways. Opening track 'World Away' brings the album to a peaceful start, Lissie already getting a bit existential with the lyrics. There's a big theme of being a small part of a bigger universe throughout the album, but always set to an emotional pretense. 'Somewhere' has beautiful lyrics that feel so insignificant, hopeless, and alone: "Somewhere we are together / Somewhere in the stars / Imagine we are together in a world that isn't ours / And you're holding me so tightly / And this time you don't leave." 'What Am I Gonna Do' has similar themes of emptiness, and Lissie ponders about what it would be like to not have to suffer at all: "What am I gonna do when I'm no longer unhappy over you? / And who's gonna turn me out and be all I ever sit and think about?"

It's the imagery of Castle that makes it so powerful. Title track 'Castles' establishes the imagery of the fortress that is constantly broken down throughout the album, Lissie sadly singing "Once upon a time and far away / I raised the gates and let you stay / Was building walls to keep from breaking." 'Boyfriend' has a lot of ocean imagery interspersed with its ballad vibes, a theme reasserted in 'Sand': "It's like carrying sand / It slips out of my hand." The lyrics are what really carry the album, but the instrumentals aren't half bad either: Lissie channels Lana Del Rey for something sensual in 'Feels Good,' the guitar work in 'Peace,' and closing track 'Meet Me In The Mystery' is just massive in every way.

Lissie channels all her emotions in Castles, building off of beautiful imagery and lovely ballads. Castles is a heartbreak album that know where the future will bring it, something we've all been through but perhaps have never been able to put through words. Lissie perfectly captures that in every essence.

Favorite Tracks: Meet Me In The Mystery, Sand, Castles, Blood & Muscle

Least Favorite Track: Crazy Girl

Rating: 84 / 100

Stream or buy Castles on Apple Music, and follow our 2018 Playlist on Spotify: