Music > Album Reviews

Julia Michaels - Not In Any Chronological Order

03/05/21

One of the biggest perks of writing for this here magazine, is that I often get the chance to discover new artists and listen to music that might otherwise have slipped under the radar, and this is one of those occasions. The track listing is purposely put in such an order as to tell a story of experiencing heartbreak, and then falling in love again.

The album is very much a chilled-out affair, and with the singer/songwriter genre so hotly contested, you need to be on top of your game to get noticed, and every one of the songs on this album are straight out of the top drawer. Comparisons with other artists are going to be inevitable, and Ellie Goulding immediately springs to mind, but that’s just a testament as to how good this actually is.

With the album telling a story, you can’t help but be drawn in, and you’re always wondering what comes next, it’s a clever way of making you listen that is simple but effective. It’s not hard to see why Julia has been nominated for a Grammy or three, both as a songwriter for other artists, as well as in her own right. Some of the tracks are stripped back with a minimalistic approach, whereas others are more uplifting, with a dance beat and synthesisers being more prominent. It’s a good mix on the whole though.

This was not something that I would listen to in a million years if left to my own devices, and I have to say, I’m surprised that I enjoyed it as much as I did. My advice would be to give it a listen and make up your own mind though, as opinions are subjective…. It’s most certainly worth taking the time to at least check it out. You may find yourself to be as pleasantly surprised as I was.

9/10