ALBUM REVIEW: Going Through It - Eliza McLamb

Going Through It - Eliza McLamb

On her debut album Going Through It, singer-songwriter Eliza McLamb invites us into a world of dreamy visuals, candid musings, and a refreshing sense of self-awareness. Backed with washed-out guitars and hallowed drums, McLamb and her producer Sarah Tudzin evoke an airy, comforting atmosphere. On the opening track “Before,” McLamb gently reminds us of “The time before knowing/ The silence preceding a knock at the door." She yearns for a simpler, unchanged version of herself. On the first chorus, McLamb gets her legs, with the help of Tudzin’s soft drums and acoustic guitar. In “Before,” McLamb wishes she knew less, but on the rest of the she album is aided by what she now does know, which is a lot. 

McLamb’s intellect makes this album unique among its contemporaries. Not only can McLamb easily tap into her emotional life, but she can pick it apart too. On tracks such as “Mythologize Me,” and “Modern Woman,” McLamb taps into her feminist roots, unpacking being a manic-pixie-dream girl and a feminist in a capitalist world. In the former track, she sings “Make me in your perfect image of a girl/So sweet but always incomplete and grateful for/Your needs to give me meaning/Oh, what a relief from feeling." Here, McLamb acknowledges the relief she feels in relationships when she is not perceived as a real person, but also the damage it causes. This kind of self-awareness is a key aspect of Mclamb's authorial voice. 

In the middle of the album, McLamb drops a bomb in “16." Thus far, Going Through It has housed fairly personal lyrics and anecdotes, but in “16” it becomes a tell-all diary. From the opening lines “Your girlfriend wants to take me to yoga class/ And you want me to stop cutting myself in the bathtub,” we are taken into a snapshot of McLamb's tumultuous life as a teenager that is entirely descriptive. McLamb ditches her usual analysis and opts instead for a raw, slice-of-life, prose. 

Going Through It is a lovely trip through McLamb’s mind and life. She soars as a lyricist, and has a classic, indie-girl, sound. If you’re a fan of indie and cool girls, McLamb is definitely one to watch. 

-DJ Delia AKA Cordelia Janow