The Harmaleighs - She Won't Make Sense

Social anxiety and panic abound on The Harmaleighs second full album - She Won’t Make Sense - trading country bumpkin tunes and a fuller, electric guitar-driven indie sound. 

It feels like a more honest album overall right from the start, with ‘Anthem for the Weak’ claiming “you’re writing anthems for the weak, I don’t wanna heat ‘em but I’m weak”. It’s a sleepy, slow opener but sets the tone of floaty, delicate vocals centred around the inward reflections of someone not comfortable in themselves.

Usually, this type of lyrical content is shadowed by a doleful and morose sound, but The Harmaleighs channel this into a different kind of energy, a refreshing one. ‘Sorry, I’m Busy’ was the lead single, detailing being “socially paralyzed” with a deft verse and a sweetly blissful chorus back by heavier guitar work than they’ve ever produced before - it’s never felt so good to bail on social plans.

Haley Grant is an accomplished songbird, usually operating within the folky styles set out by bands like First Aid Kit, but often, quite boldly, sounds like she might crack under the weight of her own introspection. On ‘Dim The Lights’ there’s a typical sounding indie bassline but it’s the shaky vocals towards the end which reveal the raw emotions we’re being treated to.

Symphonic backing is lent to ‘Don’t Panic’, and while the music itself feels slightly pedestrian and predictable, it’s the lyrical content you’re breaking down mentally over the course of several listens. ‘Talk’ has a more playful lilt, swaying from the verse to chorus, clearly flashing out the message of wanting to feel better but, ultimately, wanting to shut down conversations. 

As the album goes on, as a whole, it can sound like you’re stuck in a hall of mirrors, with similar sounds and a cacophony of manic emotions. While the perspective of someone unable to deal with the world around them makes for a change to songs simply about love or positivity, it can feel like you get lost between the songs when listening. 

If you can really hone in on the honest self-assessment - and relate to it - then this is an album you can revel in over many listens, but if you’re after more of the bohemian folk, there’ll be a tinge of disappointment and possibly even confusion.