close
close

The album cover may be ugly, but these songs aren't: The Secret of Us Deluxe review.

The Secret of Us is Gracie Abrams' second full-length album, following her debut last year, Good Riddance. This time she continues her collaboration with Aaron Dessener, who also worked on another of her projects, “This Is What It Feels Like”. They're joined by one of their longtime friends, Audrey Hobert, who contributed to the entire album as a writer and even helped create the music video for lead single “Risk.” Originally released in June, Abrams announced that a deluxe edition will be released on October 18th, containing four new songs as well as three live performances with Vevo.

The closing track of the original album is followed by the song “Cool”, which debuted as an unreleased surprise song at an Abrams show in Chicago. The core of the song is the aftereffects of being with someone who is toxic. In the first verse she sings: “I'm acting bored, it's my right, after all the love you bombed.” Love-bombing is a common manipulation tactic and when your partner does it, you'd better run away. The chorus goes: “Now I'm so cool / I'll be cool for the hell of it / You promised me you'd call but you never did / Fool, I'm a fool if the shoe fits / You I probably met with Cass and said the same thing.” By saying she'll play it cool, she's getting back at the guy who played her. He never called her again after they got together, and her nonchalance shows that he means nothing to her. The second verse fully acknowledges that while this guy gets around, he doesn't care about any of these girls.

“That's So True” was announced by Abrams as part of the deluxe edition when she performed in Maine. It has quickly become a fan favorite due to the bridge written by Gracie and Hobert. In her short film – from which the live songs are taken – Abrams talks about how writing with Hobert gave her the freedom and space to say whatever came to mind. This is a fun song that you'll definitely want to listen to in the car with the windows down. The lyrics are reminiscent of “Cool” and revolve around a very relatable situation: seeing someone you used to be with do the things you used to do with someone new. By the end of the song, she realizes he's not special, just a guy – which is so true.

As a long-time Abrams fan, “I Told You Things” is reminiscent of her previous work. It's very simple and dark and has a similar sound to her song “Rockland” from her second EP “This Is What It Feels Like”. The song is about opening up to someone and showing them your innermost self, only for the relationship to end and you regret sharing. The second verse of the song reminds me of the bridge of Taylor Swift's “The Smallest Man Who Ever Lived.” You listen to this track and as it goes on your jaw keeps dropping. She expresses these emotions through songwriting. Regret after romantic or platonic relationships is so common because people trust someone and suddenly are no longer in your life. Songs like this hit even harder because these feelings are so universal.

“Packing It Up” feels like a direct connection to the song “The Blue” from their previous album. Abrams, much like Olivia Rodrigo, doesn't have many happy and loving songs, so this is a rarity. The song is about being willing to give up on love and accepting that it's out of the question: But then it hits you right in the face. The lyrics in the chorus sum up the song well: “I swear I wasn't looking for much / But that's just when you happened / That's right when you happened.” My favorite part of the song may be this Lyrics: “I'll hold you, I'll know you / I'll never leave the back door / And I'd like to complete you / I hope you get everything you could ask for.” Every line is so heartfelt and tender . This song is a reminder that love comes when you don't look for it or expect it.

The live songs on the album are “I Love You, I’m Sorry,” “I Knew It, I Know You,” and my personal favorite, “Free Now.” Overall, the deluxe tracks fit well into the rest of the album and seem to follow their own story with all the lyrical parallels. The album's sound is very mature compared to their previous projects and this progression does not go unnoticed. My only question is: Will we ever get a happy Abrams album?

Rating: 5/5 stars

You may also like...