Album of the Week: Billie Eilish

I love Billie Eilish’…

…s When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?.

Falling in love with someone and falling in love with music have a lot in common—we can be reticent to admit we are in love and that we are in love with a certain song, record, or artist especially if that love is with someone who is not anywhere near your age. Heaven forbid they’re popular. If you do, you are going to get skepticism. You are going to get analysis. As opposed to falling in love with someone or some music  “your own age” where no questions need be asked.

If we dare fall in love with music that’s made by someone who is nowhere near our age, we can get skeptical. We can over-analyze our affection. For example, as I listened to Billie Eilish’s When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? for the umpteenthx10 time, I started to wonder. I started to analyze. Maybe I should look at the credits to see how many people were responsible for making this record. Maybe I should see who produced it. Maybe I should do all kinds of things I never do, ever, with other music I enjoy made by old people.

You may be wondering, what’s love got to do with it? Everything.

Once I got over my ageing antagonism, which took all of few minutes truth be told, I realized it is perfectly OK to like things we find ourselves liking. I’d like to believe this reticence in allowing ourselves to like things we like irregardless of time is an audiophile-specific syndrome. But it’s not. c’est la vie.

Billie Eilish’s When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? is one fun-loving record to fall in love with no matter how cranky we may be. The opening track “!!!!!!!” is a study in convincing swagger and things just get better from there. Ukulele!, beats, sex, love, death, cries, whispers, and vulnerability add up to one ripe record. It’s also a dance record, for me.

So you’re a tough guy
Like it really rough guy
Just can’t get enough guy
Chest always so puffed guy
I’m that bad type
Make your mama sad type
Make your girlfriend mad tight
Might seduce your dad type
I’m the bad guy
Duh

And here I wondered why I loved this record. Duh.

 

While I’m bearing my soul (of music), I got all misty listening to “i love you.” Really. You want this music on your hifi. You need this music on your hifi.

Available from Billie Eilish. Listen here: