24 year old musician from Georgia, Liza Anne, released her third studio album, Fine But Dying, in early March. The album is at the intersection of indie and alternative rock. There are plenty of sick guitar solos, intertwined with a mellow, yet rocking groove.
Comparatively, Fine But Dying is more intriguing in both music and lyric than her previous two albums. Lyrically, this album is more free and open. Instead of tiptoeing around mental illness, Liza Anne tackles the subject head on with raw honesty. In an interview with Billboard, she had this to say about discussing mental illness in her art: "Once you write it down and create it into a thing, it becomes less isolating." Not only is this true for the artist, but listeners also feel a sense of catharsis in the realization that they are not alone because an artist has shared in their vulnerability.
The album opens with “Paranoia” and “Small Talk”. These are great songs to start off the album for a couple of reasons. The first being that they were released earlier, so fans are met with familiarity right off the bat, keeping consistent with the theme of anxiety. The second reason being that both songs are intriguing and cool, musically and lyrically. The music video for “Small Talks” displays perfectly the intention of the song.
The album offers raw descriptions and relatable content. For example, “Panic Attack” outlines Anne’s experience with panic attacks. The song concludes with what sounds like her coaching herself through a panic attack, repeating the lines "think slowly, try to remember I’m alive/my body is here and I am inside,” which is a great tool for anyone who deals with anxiety attacks.
“Control” caught me off guard in a good way. The song form, I find to be very intriguing, which kept me listening. The composition itself is very beautiful and matches with the vocals perfectly, both lyrically and stylistically.
Following along the lines of relatable content and difficult topics, “Closest To Me” describes knowing you are hurting those you love. It’s very vibey and chill music, which I love. And the lyric content is honest, raw, and great. The whistling with the guitar riff in the outro is a nice touch. My only qualm would be that I wish the harmonies weren’t panned to different ears, as it was ultimately distracting from the song.
My only other real issues with the album would be that “Turn For The Worse” drags on a bit, but when thinking of it from a physical record standpoint, rather than digital, this song would round out Side A of the album and makes perfect sense. I also wish during the chorus the vocals matched the grittiness of the rest of the track. And “Socks”, lyrically, is too far out for me. Although, the song has crazy melodic vocal lines that portray Anne’s vocal ability and control nicely.
Overall, the vulnerability of Fine But Dying is where it really draws its value. The album addresses mental illness and love, and the relationship between the two. These two topics that not a lot of artists marry, are prominent in the everyday lives of those with mental illness. Definitely worth a listen or two.
