Fall in Love with The Regrettes' New Album

When listening to the Regrettes' debut album, "Feel Your Feelings. Fool", the phrase "angry girl rock" quickly comes to mind. 

The description isn't inaccurate; "Feel Your Feelings Fool is an unapologetically feminist album that encourages women to listen to their own hearts and well, feel their feelings. In "A Living Human Girl", frontwoman and songwriter Lydia Night sings of periods, body dysmorphia, and wearing whatever you feel like, while in "Seashore" Night sings of crushing stereotypes by loving yourself for who you are. It's a great work of art, filled with righteous anger at the rules society seems to place on women everywhere, and will definitely be one of those albums that influences female musicians for years to come.

While there are songs of anger and protest, there are also songs that anyone could listen to and love. "Hey Now" is a fun and fast paced bop with an obvious nod to 1950s rock and roll about falling in love at first sight, while "Lacy Loo" is just about running away and finding yourself. "Pale Skin" on its own is a masterpiece, exploring the most basic human emotion: fear. Yet most people will never listen to these great songs because they're just not into "angry girl rock". The label "angry girl rock", while sometimes seen as a badge of honor for female groups, is overall constrictive and unfair to an already marginalized group. "How Do You Love", the group's sophomore album, ushers in a new era for the band; an era of universal themes like love, forgiveness, and friendship. 

The Regrettes announced the release of their album back June, along with a new single "I Dare You" and an accompanying  music video. "I Dare You" starts with a cheery bouncy tune, that immediately separates the song from songs off the previous album, which usually start with an heavy electric guitar riff or loud drumming. Night sings about falling in love and the butterflies she feels  at first. The song is an invitation to fall in love, or to take a chance and jump. The song is not only fun and infectious, but it's uplifting and encouraging.

The whole album seems to take a gentler approach to self love, and encourages listeners to go out on a limb and try to show that same kind of love to another human. "How Do You Love?" does a great job in portraying all different stages of a relationship. "California Friends" showcases the awkward banter between two people, while in "Fog" Night sings of her desire. "Dress Up", my personal favorite, is all about loving someone enough to admit you were wrong, while "Coloring Book" is all about making compromises. When listening along to the cheery and sweet collection of songs, you can't help but smile fondly as you remember old crushes and relationships. The Regrettes sophomore album is just as good as their first, and is a real testament to the power of love.