The Weekly Coos

One of the better decisions Kacy Hill has made was leaving GOOD Music. It wasn’t a fait accompli due to who Kanye West became, but more so cause her career was stalled in this weird phase where the music we got didn’t feel as authentic compared to the direction she would take with her albums post-GOOD Music. It’s been one of the driving factors for my love of her work, especially as her centralized musical identity brings an easier flow of listening with whimsical writing. Fortunately, that continuation is why her latest release Bug comes off as refreshing, even when it isn’t the most flashy. Kacy Hill can get flashy, but much of the music comes off as really personal, and more so sensibilities and situations woven artistically based on mood, allowing the music to have such amplification instead of another weaker radio banger for the clubs. Her music is melancholy and treads a narrative line that feels very book-like, offering a beginning and end while we hear her world grow with the experiences felt since the release of her last album. Bug continues showing a fantastic talent and one to keep in steady rotation.

Kacy Hill’s music is tender and tells wonderous stories through what could be deemed mundane for most. She’s focused on expression and makes sure it emanates from her vocal performances—from the spirited “Damn” to the more tender “Honey Boba Boy,” Kacy Hill has mastered how to make these tracks boastful in reflecting her strengths. As with her past two albums, she can take something simple and add life, despite some production choices creating turbulence, like the glitchy autotune on the latter song. Though I may be describing something that could be perfect for many ears, Bug isn’t perfect and has faults like “Here I Am,” which falls into the current electronica trend without moving the needle in ingenuity, even taking influence from the atmospheric aesthetic from a Caroline Polachek album. And “My Day Off” feels like a livelier and poppy take on a lesser Bon Iver-influenced record. It’s fine but compared to others, where elements they incorporate give it an elevated platform, it becomes more forgettable. At least much of the album has the charm to keep it from becoming the misnomer in her discography.

The production of Bug is more eclectic in credits than before. Still, at the same time, there is a sense of direction with the sound, transfixing itself within these more summery vibes and fewer sunsets than in Simple, Sweet, and Smiling, her previous album. It offers an interesting contrast that sees Kacy Hill focusing on the lightness of starting a new decade of life as she turns 30 this year and reflects. I can relate, so I can see why she would fall back on comfortability. Despite being a contrast, Kacy Hill and her co-producers do tread a line in a safety net, but for her, it’s not much of a detriment. The last thing one would want is to deliver something too glitzy, and when it does you get something like “Here I Am.” When it doesn’t we get this beautifully nuanced alt-pop production on “Listen To You,” or the whimsical “Poquito Mas,” where the instruments come to life and the smallest touch wiggles out to give you some more, like the in-and-out harmonica in the chorus section. “Frog Rinse” is this lavish electro-pop song with tints of glitch and garage, used as a bridge between the verses.

As with the production, the writing is close to par with what we’ve gotten from Kacy Hill previously, and with consistency, she lets her vocals shine more than her second album, Is it Selfish If We Talk About Me Again. There is a balance between electronica and alt-pop, with hints of pop-rock too, and what rounds it out is the writing, whether she’s deconstructing beliefs within relationships and the growth had between both partners (“Damn”), past internal strife with sharing emotions openly (“Frog Rinse”), or reflecting on her past self and let her know the future is bright despite what she felt prior (“Poquito Mas”). Kacy Hill delivers impactful work that gives us something cool to kick back to and unwind; we benefit that she has something to say, and has creative directions, despite typically leaning on relationships for the stories. Though it’s a common stance, creativity is what takes it over the hill and Kacy does that. It’s easy to get lost in the good, especially after weening out the lesser hits. It’s a fun album to start the summer.

Unfortunately, as positive as I am the few lesser moments can’t be forgotten. Kacy Hill hasn’t made her perfect album yet, but this consistency leaves one hopeful it’s coming. I loved what she did with some of the sounds here, and more; it’s like detaching and reattaching herself to sounds she’s worked with but with unique tonal shifts and performances. I highly recommend listening to this album; it’s so tender and raw, that I’m fluttering with musical glee and want you to feel similarly.