angel
an album review/commentary/analysis for lizzy maclpine’s 4'th studio album — angel.
Reader’s discretion: Most of the thoughts written here are based on first/second/third time listen. Just wanted to encapsulate my thoughts and archive what I feel based on the first few listens of the album.
When mary saw an angel for the first time, she thought she had done something wrong. That someone so sacred yet obscure would come near her presence and appear before her. And maybe that’s also something anyone would feel when they encounter something unfamiliar for the first time.
Lizzy explains that she had initially planned for the album to be on two sides: dark and light. We get a glimpse of that when hearing this album; upon hearing the shifts in tone where you go back and forth to being happy and sad again. But to really understand the whole album, let’s dive into the tracks in order as they are intended.
When The light in the painting was released on July 23, 2026 — along with the reveal of the album title ‘angel’ (not to mention the go-public announcement on her music video) — anyone who has listened to Lizzy before would agree that this song wasn’t like any other song she has ever put out. She had worked with Mason, Taylor, and the rest of the band for her third album, but it was such a new sound and uplifting in a way she had never done before.
While the first song of the album did that, Anybody’s fool does the opposite. It gives you a glimpse of that familiarity. The repeating melodies in the piano — gives a little bit of the sadness in the song that would make you remember some of her previous songs like like it tends to do, or march.
A car wash and new pair of pants — as its name suggests — transports you back to the present where the audience can hear that she has learnt for the better. Having the simplicities in life is enough. Fans would’ve known how much she personally loves Joni Mitchell and this song feels like a tribute to her. She mentioned some songs that really inspired this, such as Hejira.
Toning it down with I have a friend — we’re seeing a glimpse of consistency now of what the album wants to present. We’ve seen how she prefers the simplicity of life in the lyrics of a car wash and new pair of pants. Especially with love coming into the house — now she’s bringing the theme back to the present.
The moon — The most similar musical structure to drunk, running or the elevator. If compared to her 2nd studio album it would be called you again or firearm. It’s not uncommon for her to use major and minor tonal shifts like she does in doomsday but she makes it more apparent in this song, without losing its own color.
Moving on to Ugly things — This is the first window we had to hearing bits of her album. It was just enough for us to really think about where the album is headed to. A big part of understanding why this song was on the second single of the album is realizing the theme ‘letting go’ from this song. Lyric wise, Lizzy uses different perspectives in the song a lot — so it’s not uncommon for us to guess if the song is going to be happy or sad. We could guess that this album is mainly going to be pretty ‘happy’ but is it really? That kind of tug-of-war guessing is what keeps the listeners on their feet.
Soldier of the road (ft fleet foxes) — which is my personal favorite song on the album. We could see the broadway experience influence on this one. How she crafted it to become musically engaging. Personally, I thought about Hadestown when listening to this song. How the guitar plucking is mimicking Orpheus’ lyre. Musically it was the most different from the rest of her previous works — in a really good way. The howling foxes voice was something to be highlighted. She also used the major and minor tonal shifts in the song as well — ending the song in a major key indicating she moved past that ‘sad’ phase and unto a new one. It was also probably why she placed this right in the middle of the album, because this was the transition song to her ‘now’ phase.
Get ;’s stories in your inbox
Join Medium for free to get updates from this writer.
We’re now in the 2nd part of the album where her ‘now’ phase has started.
Peach — This song made me cry on the first listen. The plucking on the strings/violin resembles the clock ticking. There’s also familiarity in the simplicity of the instruments in the beginning of the song and how similar it is to Lizzy’s live EP: When The World Stopped Moving. This song is perfection. I can’t even describe it in any other way. The way it started soft and simple and builds up to a wider sound is so, so effective. This was the song that made you realize that — oh, she really is in a different phase now and we’re gonna hear more of this in the future. Also, I can’t help but remember Ryan Beatty’s bruises of the peach. I’m 100% sure this song is gonna blow up like how Staying did.
Over country — This song makes you understand why Spring into Summer was the last track of the Older and Wiser album. You get the familiar feeling of this song like when you hear Spring into Summer, but now you have the gratitude; you have the heart. It really encapsulates the feeling of coming back to the person you call home.
Two elevens — musical production is out of this world. She also explained that she made this song after a (digital) encounter with her ex after 1 year of breakup. We get a glimpse of what she used to be, but at the same time proving just how different she is today now that time has passed.
Our strange ways — 2nd most favorite out of the album because of how great the music production is. It is by far her longest song yet — topping the fan favorite over-the-ocean call. Listening to this song feels like one whole story. You’ll find some Broadway influences here and there. If i could have one wish in this world, it would be to be able to come back to the first time I listened to this song. The voice memo outro is everything. Makes me remember songs from her 1st album like where do i go or nothing/sad n stuff.
Mason’s song — The friendship song for her and Mason. She mentioned that she feels like Mason and she were siblings in the past life. This song is the epitome of how she is as a person and how much gratitude she has for the friendship that she makes along the way. Knowing how much her friends have helped her during her journey.
The crowd — The 13'th song of the album — which she vowed to dedicate to her late father. We heard her in headstones and landmines, chemtrails, and march. But this time, she expressed how she’s gaining clarity now as to why she’s doing all of this: making music, touring, performing. She’s presenting it for her father.
Angel — the song that wraps everything together. She also said it herself that this song was essentially the thesis statement of the whole album.
Probably it was intentional that the album name was Angel — that you would find something so unfamiliar yet warm. When you hear it, you’ll get a sense of relief that what you’ve been looking for has finally come to you. Not in a flashy statement, but in a way that comes close to you like a sunray that peeks through your bedroom.
I also personally loved LOVED that she portrays different kinds of love in this album — especially her gratitude for the friends that has helped her along the way seems to be the main theme for this album.
Watching her grow from being an independent artist, signing with labels, going from expressing how she didn’t really like her 2nd studio album, to relistening to it again and realizing what a banger it is (as she should), to cancelling her tour just to find a tour concept that she likes now — more intimate and some even phone-free, and finally to being proud of her work. Also, not forgetting her pivotal moment where she has reached her long-overdue dream of being on Broadway and now bringing her experience back to her own songs.
There’s also comfort in knowing that we’re also growing as a listener, relating through her songs. Through all the sadness and emotional growth that we had to grow through, there’s an angel in the shape of love that’s waiting for us right upon the door —knocking, just waiting for us to let them in :)
Big thanks to Lizzy McAlpine for that big reminder to all of us.
