Older - Lizzy McAlpine.

Discovering Lizzy McAlpine: A Refreshing Blend of Organic Songwriting and Modern Production

I hadn’t been too familiar with Lizzy McAlpine until her album Five Seconds Flat caught my attention. In fact, it was the viral success of "Ceilings" on TikTok, along with a nudge from my wife, that really put her on my radar. Ever since, I’ve been completely captivated by her songwriting and production style—I’ve even become a bit of a fanboy.

Her latest release, Older, which came out in April 2024, is a prime example of modern production fused with raw, organic songwriting. The album strikes a perfect balance between lyrical depth and a clean, upfront pop vocal sound. It’s rich in instrumental texture, offering a dynamic and colorful listening experience that feels intimate yet expansive.

The title track, “Older,” was recorded in just three takes, with the final take making it onto the album. What stands out when listening to this song is the subtle imperfections—piano pedal creaks, guitar pedal clicks, and even Lizzy’s breath. These small, authentic details give the track a warmth that’s often missing in today’s highly polished productions. It feels raw, like there’s a focus on emotion and performance rather than perfection. The line “Somewhere I lost all my senses, I wish I knew what the end is” really hit home for me. I don’t interpret it as being about the end of life, but rather about the overwhelming stress and uncertainties we face in life—when will things finally settle down?

Another standout for me is “Vortex.” While it follows a familiar four-chord progression, the lyrical content and pacing of the melody demand your attention before you even realize you’ve heard this structure countless times before. If you listen closely, you can almost sense the pause right before Lizzy’s vocal begins, as though the pianist is subtly cueing her. From a production standpoint, I love how open the piano sounds—it leaves so much space for the vocal to shine. It feels like a deliberate choice during recording, not something fixed in post-production. The positioning of the mics, the choice of gear, and the subtle processing all seem carefully considered to create a natural, spacious sound.

What I love most about this record is how it embraces organic production. Instead of layering more and more elements as the song progresses, the musicians find ways to make each repetition of the chords feel more significant, as though there’s more at stake with each verse.

The album’s production is what I’d describe as “discreetly massive.” If you listen casually, say in the car or through a laptop, the more obvious elements like vocals, piano, and acoustic guitars take center stage. But through a good pair of headphones or speakers, you can really appreciate the depth of the mix. The drums and bass have a thick, well-defined presence, with a lot of the midrange carefully sculpted to blend seamlessly with the guitars and strings while still providing a solid foundation. A great example of this can be heard in “Broken Glass,” where the low end feels both powerful and complementary to the other instruments. The use of hard panning, especially on acoustic instruments, is a brilliant move that creates even more room for Lizzy’s vocal to shine.

Distortion and saturation are key elements throughout the album, used both subtly and boldly. I suspect there’s been some use of tape emulation, or maybe even real analog tape, to give the songs a warm, vintage feel. On tracks like “Broken Glass,” you can hear a more aggressive, driven distortion in the stereo field, even affecting the reverb, which adds a gritty texture that perfectly fits the song's title. It’s a bold production choice that pays off by mimicking the sound of shattered glass. It actually reminds me of Plugin Alliances ‘Vertigo VSM-3’ preset called mid side master (or something like that).

In summary, Older is the perfect album if you’re looking for something familiar yet refreshingly honest. On the surface, it’s a collection of well-crafted pop songs with clear influences from folk and country. But on a deeper level, it’s a celebration of musicians serving the song and communicating emotion through every note. It’s sad, but also beautiful in its simplicity and authenticity.