by joy villanueva
23-year-old London-born pop/R&B artist Eloise takes listeners on a magical journey full of heartache, remorse, and gooey earnest feelings with her new album Drunk On A Flight. Being a poetical, lyrical, and just plain-simple masterpiece, the record seems to be driven by guitar solos and sparkly grooves, making it puzzling for those listening to not get up from their bed and dance around their rooms.
The album, opening with the track “Drunk On A Flight,” is a masterpiece in itself as tones of R&B and cool-toned pop can be heard ringing throughout speakers. The song had to have been an intelligent creative decision to open with, being a platform for the rest of the album to lean on, speaking about an unrequited love that simply could not be saved. Instrumentals backing up Eloise’s vocals on the track “Drunk On A Flight” are alike to the supporting tracks “Pretend and “Forgive You.” With reminisces of similar artists such as Bruno Major, Eloise sings doubtfully but proudly, “In every man I meet / I look for you.” The bridge is easily a head-turner, with Eloise’s vocals sprinkling magical riffs left and right.
The most notable track of the record is arguably the track “Therapist,” an upbeat fun bedroom-pop song tackling the annoyance of having men talk to her about their issues, when it simply does not matter to the artist; the guitar solo within the bridge ties the sixth track together like a shiny red ribbon waiting to be unraveled. Vibes of “Therapist” can be heard in other existing tracks on the album, such as “Make It Better,” “I Take It Back,” “Giant Feelings,” and “Vanilla Tobacco.”
Drunk On A Flight slows down with the melodramatic tracks “Cold As The Sea,” “Friends Who Kiss,” and “In Another Year.” “Friends Who Kiss” is filled with La La Land-esque references and instrumentals, submerging the listeners in dreamy vocals and heartfelt messages about an agonizing friends-with-benefits trope.
Ending the coming-of-age record in a bittersweet yet memorable way, Eloise leads the audience on one last journey of heartbreak and survival with the track “Tired Now.” “And although it wasn’t right / We fought a good fight / But I’m tired now” are lyrics some listeners can relate to all too well.
It is difficult to believe that this is Eloise’s first album, but it certainly won’t be the last we hear from the artist. Whether you’re driving down the highway or crying in your bedroom over a dead-end relationship, Eloise has your back with her new album Drunk On A Flight, released April 14th.
