Fun fact: I tried to recruit Libby for Black Rainbow Collective when we first started, shortly after first hearing her. The song that introduced me to her was “Fortune Cookies”, and the strength of the songwriting completely blew my mind.
On her new tune, “News At The Party”, the music feels less somber, despite the lyrical content being similarly doom and gloom. The breezy lead guitar (courtesy of jazz guitarist Baron Tymas) and the rich, warm assortment of acoustic instruments blend together to make what feels like the audio equivalent of a security blanket. The acoustic guitar is the foundation on which the song is built. It’s joined by some lovely, sparingly used piano, some occasional flute, tasteful bass, and reserved drums. The whole thing is perfectly, finely balanced. The male backing vocals are a particularly lovely touch.
Lyrically, this is about the sensation of dealing with heartbreak in a crowded room, or receiving heart-breaking “News At The Party”. Libby breaks down the feelings that accompany having to mask immense devastation, specifically the veneer that you must don to pretend you are OK after learning that a romantic interest is with someone else who is attending the very same party as you. What a debacle. She goes from “I promise I’m OK” to “I’m fighting tears in a bathroom stall” in the time it takes to flutter an eyelid, and you can’t help but hope that the ground will open her up and swallow her whole.
Building on her earlier Phoebe Bridgers-inspired songwriting, Libby seems to be coming into her own on this one, with additional influences shining through. A little reminiscent of artists like Sorcha Richardson, The Weepies, and Death Cab for Cutie, Libby is absolutely on the right track.
Written by Black Rainbow Collective
