By Ashley Ragone
Staff Writer
Katie Gavin, frontwoman of the indie pop band MUNA, released her debut solo album “What A Relief” on Oct. 25.
This is her first individual music endeavor since meeting her bandmates Jo Maskin and Naomi McPherson in 2013, and is an extensive acoustic journey of self-discovery. Despite her album’s solo debut, her bandmates received production credits, along with a Mitski feature on “As Good As It Gets.”
Over seven years in the making, the 12-track album finds inspiration from pop giants like Alanis Morissette and Fiona Apple, being referred to by Gavin as “Lilith Fair-core,” a reference to the female-fronted music festival of the 1990s.
The album captures a pivotal chapter in Gavin’s life, marked by what she calls a desire for connection and facing “all the obstacles that stood in my way…patterns of isolation or even boredom with the real work of love,” according to her interview with Line of Best Fit magazine.
The songs, which Gavin lovingly referred to at first as a “MUNA discard pile,” rely heavily on acoustic guitar and light drums for a stripped-down feeling.
As indie pop music falls more into the stereotype of “sad girl music,” with emotional lyricism and mellow instrumentals, Gavin’s album presents a more dynamic array of songs of acceptance and intimacy.
The album’s opener, “I Want It All,” sets a sweet, mellow tone with tender harmonies and soft guitar. There is a deep sense of yearning from Gavin, wanting the subject of the song (most likely a romantic partner) to pay attention and grant her affection.
“Aftertaste” explores the emotional distance between Gavin and the described love interest, how her “hair got long” while the other person’s “hair got cut.” They try to make small talk as they get through the awkwardness between them, but they resort to “talkin’ ‘bout the weather.” Though the song is more upbeat and aligned to MUNA’s traditional sound, Gavin clings to what is left of a past relationship and the comfortability of old habits.
In “The Baton,” Gavin introduces a more country-adjacent sound intertwined with a melancholic fiddle. The song introduces the metaphor of a relay race to represent intergenerational trauma; each mother passes on the baton to her daughter, and they must run ahead until they have a child to pass it all on to. Although each generation does their best, there is still “so much healing that still needs to be done” in families.
“Casual Drug Use” brings more of a rocking style that sounds like classic MUNA, having been written after a breakup in 2016. Gavin describes how “It’s a little unnerving how fast I’ll fall back in / To fixing my issues with casual drug use,” illustrating the balancing act between love and drug addiction in order to feel something meaningful.
On “As Good As It Gets,” which was my most anticipated song off the album, we get a collaboration with fellow indie star Mitski. Gavin is coming to accept the fact that a healthy relationship may be average, not riding a high every day. This song definitely lived up to my expectations and is one of my favorites of the album.
“Sanitized” is most clearly inspired by Fiona Apple, reminding me heavily of her 90s hit “Criminal.” The darker, grittier song introduces how we change and clean up ourselves for the satisfaction of others. By making our personality more palatable, we are more easily accepted.
Though simple, “Sketches” lays out a thoughtful meditation on what reality is. Gavin comments on life’s fleeting feeling, how “Some of us can make a sketch of love to fall in / And I did.” Our view of life and love is often incomplete, like a sketch before the full painting, and our experiences and choices add color to fill in the full picture.
I was inconsolable after listening to “Inconsolable.” Gavin described to Stereogum the experience of this song as being about how “being in a relationship can sometimes feel like trying to speak a language you weren’t taught.” The song recounts how people are conditioned to self-sabotage and compartmentalize their feelings because of their familial upbringing, struggling to accept comfort because of its unfamiliarity. The emotional depth of this album comes through clearly in this song, straying further away from MUNA’s typical sound.
“Sparrow” introduces the metaphor of a lover as a bird, coming with the summer season and leaving with the winter like a migratory pattern. As the singer is left alone without the lover who left, the silence becomes deafening and isolating.
My heart absolutely breaks every time I listen to “Sweet Abby Girl.” Gavin details the life she shared with her pet dog, Abby, who passed away. The line “Thanks for coming in my world” pays tribute to Abby, and it is such a sweet and sorrowful song.
“Keep Walking” allows Gavin the clarity and peace from her former relationship to finally just keep walking if she sees her ex on the street. There is a sense of maturity in the song, that she finally knows she was “not a victim after all” and can acknowledge her personal responsibility in the devolution of the relationship.
Gavin finally moves on from her sense of loss and desire in “Today,” feeling a sense of triumph from her growth, but also a bittersweet ending as the album closes. As Gavin closes with “And I’ll find my way / ‘Cause I was given today,” a train can be heard in the background — a perfect metaphor for the journey that Gavin has finally completed.
Gavin’s “What A Relief” is a fantastic debut that explores complex topics like love, loss and introspection. Through clever lyricism and moving rhythm, Gavin’s album allows an open dialogue about the uncomfortable realities of life. This indie pop album presents a promising solo career for Gavin.
