Carly Rae Jepsen, 鈥淭he Loneliest Time鈥� (Interscope Records)
Dating in the 21st century might be a lonely time, but Carly Rae Jepsen has found a way to make an album around those experiences that鈥檚 as bright and hopeful as it is grounded. From the euphoric 鈥淪ideways鈥� to the heartbreak of 鈥淕o Find Yourself or Whatever,鈥� on her sixth studio album, 鈥淭he Loneliest Time,鈥� the 36-year-old makes one thing clear: It鈥檚 rough out there in the dating world.
While the themes of 鈥淭he Loneliest Time鈥� are timeless, there鈥檚 a specificity to the experiences that reflect the modern age. Jepsen鈥檚 second single from the album, 鈥淏each House,鈥� is the best example of this. The kitschy song mirrors the experience of endless scrolling on dating apps. After describing a myriad of bad dating experiences and pleading with men to not view dating as hunting season, male vocals join in with tongue-in-cheek promises that get more preposterous as they go, from 鈥淚鈥檓 probably gonna never call you鈥� to 鈥淚鈥檓 probably gonna harvest your organs.鈥� It鈥檚 a sure-to-be camp classic from the Canadian pop icon.
Despite what are certainly lows described on 鈥淏each House,鈥� Jepsen鈥檚 optimism on 鈥淪urrender My Heart鈥� shows she hasn鈥檛 given up on love quite yet. A highlight of the album, the synth bop opener finds her embracing vulnerability.
Throughout the LP are disco and '80s influences, heard most strongly on the title track and 鈥淔ar Away.鈥� The pop anthems for which Jepsen is known are not in short supply, with softer tracks like 鈥淏ends鈥� and 鈥淕o Find Yourself or Whatever鈥� sprinkled in between. 鈥淕o Find Yourself or Whatever鈥� is endearing in its empathy, opening with an acoustic guitar and building to include an electric guitar, mandolin and sitar.
鈥淭he Loneliest Time鈥� is a collection of songs that encompass the highs and lows of searching for love, a journey full of second chances, mistakes and elation. It can be lonely at times, but as she articulates on the opener, her past experiences haven鈥檛 stopped her from opening her heart: 鈥淚 wanna be brave enough for everything.鈥�
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This review has been corrected to show that 鈥淏each House鈥� is the second, not first, single.
Ragan Clark, The Associated Press
