by lauren kovolenko
Good, Like It Should Be is a sonically charged album with joyous moments, but also melancholic tone. With each listen, find yourself deeply intertwined with Ber’s lyrics about life and what it means to, well, live. Upon first listen, I was hooked instantly. Whether it was the beats and sounds of the pop focused indie tracks or the lyrics, Ber has something to appeal to everyone.
The first track opens the album with an upbeat vibe and takes you straight into her life story. She explores themes of love and what is true or real. “Cool, Boy” is an exciting track about trying too hard… with super quirky lyrics. “Don’t act so cool boy, get your ass up and dance!” We did just that. You can’t help yourself!
Metaphors fly throughout this album—maintaining interest through each track. This album is an extremely fun listen. You can’t help but bop your head and shake your hands in the air.
“Who’s This?” is a story of being yourself while faced with adversity. Themes like this trickle through the whole project with each proceeding track.
Halfway through the project shows an album slow down. With more guitar and soft pacing, Ber continues.
“Hey, Bluebird” has some beautifully large moments about respecting yourself and choosing yourself at the end of the day. This song almost feels like a big sister note to yourself. It’s a great reminder we all need when we are, and can be, too harsh on ourselves. The next songs come with themes of proving yourself to a potential love interest, to take a chance on yourself.
“Give It All Away” is a personal favorite of mine. This song has themes that I think many of us can relate to. Finding it tough to live in a society which promotes a culture of putting others wishes first before our own personal health. Debating what’s important or not so much.
At this point in the album, the song melodies are picking up, but the lyrics continue with the same depth we started with. It’s no doubt that Ber is a great storyteller, and extremely relatable. “Next To Me” most definitely belongs in the next coming of age romance movie. Why do opposites attract? A story as old as time.
The rest of the album continues with some more conversations about relationships: what they mean; and what they could turn into. The end track, same as the album title, is a perfect end credit scene.
If there’s anything this album does is make you feel something. An emotion of sadness, longing, or just the opposite—spontaneity or excitement for what the future holds. It’s an extremely dancey album for more reasons than one. Whether you want to feel good, or feel something — this is your album. As a first time listener of Ber, I most definitely am glad to have found this album and enjoyed her talents provided.
She’s going places.