Frontwoman Lydia Night veers away from The Regrettes’ previous hardcore LA pop-punk into vulnerable and dreamy alt-pop through their third album, “Further Joy”. Through previous albums “Feel Your Feelings, Fool!” into “How Do You Love?” and finally “Further Joy”, you can see Night discovering herself throughout the years as The Regrettes have grown. She has completely molded her sound to fit a digestible and refreshingly real album.

The Regrettes’ debut album “Feel Your Feelings, Fool!” carries an eff-everything attitude and this new album is quite the opposite. Both are spectacular albums but they have incredibly different energies. Through “Further Joy”, Night leans into the inner-workings of a sensitive girl swept up in the world, finally unafraid to air her real emotions and show the truly damaging parts of being a woman. While focusing on anxiety, self-image, and love, The Regrettes deliver an authentic and unforgiving view of girlhood.

In track 5, “Subtleties (Never Giving Up On You)”, we see Night’s struggle with her image and self love. Through the chorus, one could infer that Night is singing this song to herself. “When’s the time I’m gonna say I love you / And know what it really means to let it seep through? / I’m so tired of soaking up the subtleties / But I’m never giving up on you.” It’s a love letter to the current Lydia, telling her that she might not love everything about herself right now, but one day she will. Into the second verse, Night sings “Easy to preach it when you’re not naked in the mirror / Yelling affirmations just to find a thing that you believe / I’ve seen darker, guess you could say it’s looking up / Cause ignorance was bliss until your heart was cut from your sleeve.” Night really hits hard with this verse, comparing her old self to the new and current Lydia. The last line reveals a powerful image, explaining how many girls grow up ignorant until society pushes them into the world head first.

Track 10, the dreamy love-sick ballad “You’re So F**king Pretty”, is a drastic switch from the upbeat pop so far experienced through the album. The mix of the vocals, gentle piano, and heart-wrenching chorus is nothing short of a masterpiece. Night wrote this song based on her experience being bisexual and liking girls without ever having dated one. “You give a little and I fall a little too much / I give a little, I’m too late, you slip from my clutch / In the bathroom, you fix your face / And you’re so f**king pretty, you take my breath away.” This chorus is stunning. Night masterfully communicates complex emotions through this entire album but especially in this song. It really encapsulates feeling like you’re not enough for someone and you’re begging for a way to become enough.

“Further Joy” is like the younger sister of Paramore’s “After Laughter.” Filled with raw emotion disguised by poppy vocals and eclectic background tracks, this album offers a real look into girlhood. Night completely showcases her mastery of creating music, resulting in a truly gorgeous album.

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