As the year gradually approaches its dusk, the forthcoming singer-songwriter Josefine Neumann has revealed her album "Like Ivy, We Will Grow": the collection of tracks embedded in this expansive project is remarkable; deeply human and heart-stirring, the indie-folk artist passionately into a certain fragility concurrent within all of us, as the introspective lyrics serve as an emotional outlet. There is equal artistic intricacy when considering the compositional aspects, proving the artist's holistic approach while recording these tracks. Here are our thoughts about this project and why it caught our attention.
It may not strike at first while listening to her discography, but Josefine has started quite early in the industry— yet it displays a surprising amount of wisdom that one expects to encounter in artists with perhaps years of experience. Having professionally started at the budding age of sixteen, the American songstress has taken the initiative of self-learning to impressive levels: she has put hours into building her resume as a composer, singer, and songwriter without anyone else's involvement— while simultaneously balancing her daily life as a student. Dedication and unyielding efforts inside her home studio have been rewarded with consistent audience growth, as thousands of listeners have flocked to listen to this new, potential-laden act in the scene. In the short time since her debut album "Lamb" in 2023, Josefine has released several singles and multiple albums to prove she's only getting better at this.
What stands out on this LP is the finer nuances present in the composition, creating a rich tapestry of sonics with the involvement of other instruments; that's showcased right away with the opener "Good Night," which begins on a subdued and repeating guitar chords, as a guitar bow with a low-hum replicates the main melody alongside feel-good mandolin later. The naturalistic vocals are soporific, almost as if singing a lullaby. Over to the next track "Ivy," this core track focuses on embracing failures and one's shortcomings with the reflective lyricism ("Maybe it's okay to not know what's going on//Take it day by day").
Over at "Nothing," the vocals get more dainty with a feathery rendition, lofty and gliding over the accompanying soft cadence. The songstress is contemplative about the impermanence of things in life. The adjacent track "Saddest Man on Earth" introduces a banjo-led, upbeat instrumental with Celtic influences; the performance confronts the unease from a painful heartbreak, although arriving at a resolve later ("Keep on moving," as the vocals iterate with a newfound determination). Arriving slightly after this is the leading number "Petrichor," which served as the first single from this album; it's reminiscent of an adult contemporary record with the rippling, bittersweet pianoforte layered with the confessional rendition. "Just to Spite You" gets experimental with the vocal processing, using the chorus effect during the hook to emphasize its message, as spacious vocal harmonies elevate the arrangements afterward.
Approaching the conclusion, "Victory" is a despondent and intimate ballad with a muted guitar arpeggio, and the tender vocals emanate solemnity from a broken relationship. Interestingly, "Skin" is a rather exceptional tune following after, although following a similar theme while trading acoustic features for folk-rock style arrangements, yet another demonstration of versatility is present on this album.
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