girlsweetvoiced is bringing bedroom pop back with debut album Lovesweet
"Lovesweet"
Canadian singer/songwriter Adriana Mallya’s moniker draws from Sappho, the ancient Greek poet whose writings have been largely lost to time. Fragments are often all that remain, with one of the most beloved remnants reading only two words: “girl sweetvoiced.”
Mallya’s debut album Lovesweet tackles many of the same themes as Sappho’s surviving poetry. Love and yearning take centre stage, pulling the listener down the rabbit hole of a turbulent romance. Every song is confessional, and we’re brought on the journey from the very first track, which both sincerely and semi-ironically spells out how “You got me writing love songs / And I never write love songs.” Eleven more songs about love ensue.
Listening In can sometimes feel like stepping directly into Mallya's diary, such is the way she effortlessly captures a sense of being hopelessly in love. The album's most heartfelt moments verge on truly lovesick. Mallya’s sugary voice turns her heartache dizzying as we're shifted back and forth between candied pop ballads and songs of lovelorn pining, giving the overall effect of a vivid painting of an innocent romance turned overbearing.
The canvas here is bedroom pop. Lovesweet never strays far from lo-fi, homemade production, but the genre serves Mallya’s story well. Her soft, almost whispered vocals feel honest when supported by the DIY instrumentals. The sound is reminiscent of early Clairo and beabadoobee, only with a little more detail, offering a return to the warm and hazy production popular in the 2010s.
This aesthetic is mirrored in Mallya’s social media, made up of pastel colours and webcam recordings, and rightly so: Lovesweet sounds as if lavender pink were spun into song. Muted breakbeat drum loops are paired with liquid, dream-pop orchestration as if there’s a house party droning away next door. Woodwind flourishes blend seamlessly with fuzzy guitars, mirroring Mallya’s emotions as she falls headfirst into romance.
Debut single “spearmint” remains the album’s clear highlight. Steve Lacy-esque production supports a memorable melody, and analogue performances by Dylan Wiggins and Tyler Johnson save the song from ever feeling rigid. “energizer” is a strong contender too, as Mallya’s bedroom pop strays closer towards digi-pop, with a playful synthesiser reminiscent of Mort Garson’s Mother Earth’s Plantasia.
I often long for more of these moments, where Mallya breaks further away from Lovesweet's base palette. Viral hit “tonight” has the most out-of-the-box production on the album, not least because it samples Joni Mitchell’s “California” – which Mitchell surprisingly approved herself. As the sample blends into a haze of guitars at the song’s close, Mallya transforms the classic from 1971 into a song that verges on lounge R&B. The sample is well integrated, although Mallya could experiment with the instantly recognisable dulcimer riff more than she does.
Less successful are “ruby & stone”, where a catchy, folkloric acoustic guitar lead is held back by a staccato drum machine, and soft piano ballad “dumb & in love”. Here, she almost hits the mark but is hindered by the restrained dynamics; Mallya's voice is strong, but struggles to hold the weight of the album’s 33-minute runtime.
Nonetheless, many songs on Lovesweet sound immediately familiar. Mallya has a knack for writing strong melodies, and I have no doubt that she’ll become a heavy hitter in the years to come. The path from bedroom pop social media sensation to superstar is a well-worn road, and girlsweetvoiced is packed and ready to make the trek.
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