On Ian Sweet’s third album, her sound is brighter, more textured, and bolder than her previous work. With songs that hover near experimental sounds ranging from art-pop to nu-metal, Show Me How You Disappear is a promising new addition to Ian’s catalog.
From the album’s start, Ian’s latest takes a clear turn away from common indie-pop as found on her first two projects. The singer’s new sound is slightly more ambitious, with fuzzy distortion running through the opener “My Favorite Cloud.” The track sounds like a slightly calmer version of a Poppy song, especially when you take note of the guitar streaming through the foreground.
Other songs, like “Dirt,” take on dream pop stylings. The song flows with synth and guitar that pleasantly swerve and wrap around each other. Ian’s vocals are rather timid as these instruments dance, singing “I’m the dirt, I get kicked where it hurts.”
While much of Show Me How You Disappear feels bolder than Ian’s previous work, there’s still a sense that she’s holding back. The album is a step towards experimentation and hyper-pop adjacent sounds, as if the artist is working up her courage to make the jump from indie-pop to full-on experimental art-pop. But she doesn’t quite get there with her newest album. While the softer sides of Show Me How You Disappear have merit, they feel less exciting compared to the songs that tempt abrasion.
But even as Ian doesn’t quite reach her potential, Show Me How You Disappear is still a good album. The song’s move with skill and Ian’s voice, both literally and artistically, sound’s more confident in its ideas. At this rate, it’s easy to look forward to Ian Sweet’s next project.
Rating: 7.0/10
