Review Summary: Lindsey shows off her edgier and darker side with this phenomenal album.
Since the release of her debut album, Lindsey has reached global success. She's received over half a billion views on her YouTube channel, sold out several concerts and been nominated for several awards. Many anticipated the release of her new album, Shatter Me, which was released not too long ago. My problem with the first album was that it was too safe, and some of the songs sounded a bit samey. I hoped she'd eradicate these problems to deliver a more spectacular music masterpiece.
Lindsey tried more in this album, I think. Whilst the first album all sounded reasonably positive, some of the songs here sounded more varied. "Roundtable Rival", for example, had a beginning that sounded somewhat reminiscent of an Irish jig, whilst in the album's title track "Shatter Me" (featuring Lzzy Hale), there was a definite more dubstep side, with the quintessential bass drop just after Lzzy sings her final "Shatter Me" in the chorus.
This album shows how Lindsey has developed as an artist since the first time she released an album. This takes the good points about the first album then builds on the, including a deeper, darker sound which proves far more powerful than her first
"Beyond the Veil" really stood out to me this time. When the chorus hit and her violin tunefully screeched that high note, it's a definite power moment. The song was atmospheric, intense and powerful. Other masterpieces on the album are "Heist", "Roundtable Rival" and "Shatter Me". All the songs seem so different from each other, showing how ambitious Lindsey can be.
The downside this time? How other artists are featured on the album. Don't get me wrong, the two songs with other artists are great, the only thing is, it kind of takes away from Lindsey. It's like Lindsey is only a backing violinist on these songs, as opposed to the frontwoman we know her to be.
Nevertheless, this is a much more interesting album to listen to than it's predecessor. It shows a somewhat "dark fairytale" side to her, and is by far edgier and superior to her first album. I only hope now that I'll be lucky enough to see her in concert this fall!
(at its finest)
