Rating: ★★★★☆
The beautifully raw vocals from Charlotte Eriksson, aka The Glass Child, return in her second full album titled ‘I Must Be Gone And Live, Or Stay And Die’.
Opening with The Fall, you are trapped within her quick and fiery lyrics. A soft spark lights in the first chorus, teasing you further into the song as a gentle drum pattern accompanies a forever growing pain in a deeper meaning vocal.
In a perfect cross of soft and hoarse vocal, a story of intimidating questioning is told as the song gets heavier. As an opening song, you are immediately faced with masses of power as you would have heard in the likes of ‘Best Part of Me’ or ‘Tell The World’ from her earlier releases.
Another big song, Heroes, separates you from Yesterday; a soft acoustic song where her signature vocals really take shape. If your ears could orgasm at the sound of pure beauty, I’m pretty damn sure this would tease you quite nicely. The vulnerable echo in Charlotte’s voice draw you in as she sings a story of pain; saying goodbye to somebody close.
“You’ve had enough of me and all my misery, I’m back to running with the haunted ’cause they won’t leave me alone. I should smile, I had you for a while, and everyone I know is leaving – seems like no-one will arrive.”
The album returns to its expected state; upbeat and heavier and with the same powerful vocals. I’m Hidden So Well has a drum beat to get much more than your foot tapping and fills the song with a fast-paced rhythm that is accompanied by a naturally heavy bass. A catchy chorus lyric will remain in your head for hours.
“Try waking up alone in your bed, so much space you feel trapped instead.”
Winter Girls began to disappoint me, until about half way through when it kicks in and retains the album’s catchiness. At this point, an acoustic song that begins a little too slow, is taken over by heavier instruments that add an entire new texture to the song. Technically, the change is absolutely natural where similar moved in some songs by other artists feel forced.
It doesn’t take long at the end for a loud and mighty vocal pushes not just beautiful lyrics, but catchy ones and the half time drumming only makes them stand out more. A dragged out chorus weakens the second tease of the album where otherwise extending that strong chorus would have ultimately ended with a feeling of ecstasy. Or the music orgasm. Which ever feels greatest.
Who Am I is less-organised in its layers, despite telling another beautiful story. A distractingly loud guitar took away from the vocal but another acoustic song in London brought the album back to reality.
London is a poetic, acoustic song with layered, soft backing vocals underneath Charlotte’s already beautiful vocals telling a story of missing someone special.
“You told me to be free, but I can’t let you go. I’ll always go back for more. I’ll wait for you, if you ask me to and I’ll go where you are if you let me to…”
Kick drums take you into full version of The Water’s Edge and annoyingly continue throughout much of the song but the stripped down at the end of the album is much nicer. The acoustic alternative doesn’t have the unnecessary drum beat all the way through – instead, the patting of an acoustic guitar takes over. The timbre is different; it’s easier on the ears and the song. Accompanied by a gentle and discrete piano, this makes a perfect ending to this album.
However the first of three final songs to the album, Running Up That Hill is another disappointment. Similarly to the full version of The Water’s Edge; these two songs are the lower points on the release. Who I’ve Grown To Be is another strong song, but feels to drag on just a little too long. It has a kind of 80s rock ballad intro, before her vocals kick in, when it sounds a little weird – it’s the chorus that takes the song around. I would perhaps put the song on par with Heroes from the start.
Finally, the ending song, I Took His Smile Away, opens with distorted guitar and heavy drums before breaking away to bare vocals and piano. It has an odd composition, feeling a little bit rushed and some of the transitions from each section are untidy, but with the stripped down The Water’s Edge; the album doesn’t end on a low.
