Girl at the Rock Shows

I typically don’t mind the cold, but something about it today has gotten under my skin and into my bones. I just can’t warm up, and that’s making me super crabby, but I still have dinner plans to get through and loads of work to conquer before I can tap out for the day and just crawl into my warm and cozy bed. I need something to warm me up from my soul to my skin and put me in a bit better of a headspace. Could that be Ottilie Wallace’s new album, ‘Throughout The Day’? Let’s take a listen and see.

“Waiting On July” starts this album with a harsh and severe electronic sound. It’s a bit abrasive, and, at first, I hated it, but as Ottilie’s voice comes in and soothes over the intensity of this sound, you get treated to an opening song that is nothing short of a British pop masterpiece. I love how seemingly simple this song is with the light instrumentation and very basic drums happening, yet how Ottilie puts so much personality into the track with her tongue-in-cheek lyrics and the raw delivery of said lyrics.

The second song, “Gaslighter,” continues with the British pop vibe that Ottilie laid out in the opening track but puts an angsty twist on it. This stompy song, again, highlights Ottilie’s way with words. They are simple feeling in a way with how they feel so conversational in both word choice and presentation, yet they are what I really liked with this song. This angry track details the breakdown of an abusive relationship, and you can feel that anger, defeat, slight depression, and, in the end, the resilient feeling that comes with that journey with Ottilie’s voice throughout this three-minute-long track.

“Toy” instantly became a new favorite song of mine within the first couple of seconds. There’s a very Amyl & The Sniffers angst behind this one that I didn’t see Ottilie branching into, given the opening two tracks, yet I hope to hear more from her. It’s a snarky track and absolutely worthy of instant riot grrrl anthem status. Again, there’s not much to speak of when it comes to this track’s instrumentation, but that’s its beauty. It’s bare bones, it’s raw, it’s Ottilie Wallace.

At nearly six minutes long, “Survivor” is a super lengthy track for Ottilie Wallace when compared to the first three tracks. I was intrigued to see what she would do with so much time in this song and was honestly a bit worried, but the genius composition of this track kept me on the edge of my seat for the entire time. Seemingly random moments when the pace seems to speed up, juxtaposed by moments with an almost ambient and atmospheric vibe, give this song an ebb and flow that isn’t quite what you may be expecting but makes for a super dynamic listen.

“Asylum” is another fairly lengthy track at just over six and a half minutes but the storytelling behind this ballad makes it fly by. Gorgeous piano contrasts the slightly harsh reality of Ottilie’s vocals in a super cool way. It’s like one of those sponges with a coarse side and a softer side scraping around your soul. I know that doesn’t sound pleasant, but trust me, it is when Ottilie does it. There’s an almost childlike whimsy in some of the lines of words in this song that gives the track a feel of hope, but the overall darkness and slow pace also give it an almost gloomy undertone.

The sixth song on this album, “Icy,” fits my current mood so perfectly and reminds me of the beauty of winter. As Ottilie puts it, this is a “Christmas song with a frozen heart,” and I feel like that’s the best way to put it. Again, Ottilie has this odd childlike whimsy that she has put into this song, but there’s something a bit more mysterious about it. This is one of those songs that keep you holding on because you just feel that something will change with the swirling whimsy that kicks it off. At five minutes long, there are definitely some twists and turns in this journey, but I’m not going to give them away, so just take a couple of minutes and check this track out for yourself.

“Sugar High At Midnight” returns to the more riot-grrrl-focused energy laid out in “Toy.” I love how, at this point, you start to see ‘Throughout The Day’ come together as a whole idea rather than just individual songs. The ebb and flow of the moods of the tracks and how they play through is intense but also kind of like the way you may be feeling ‘Throughout The Day.’ I’m not sure if it was intentional or not, but by the time “Sugar High At Midnight” was wrapping up, I no longer saw this album as a bunch of solid songs solely strung together by Ottilie Wallace’s signature sound but more like the story of a day in the life of a person.

Just when I thought I had heard it all from Ottilie Wallace, she hit me with “Fantasy World.” As the title may lead you to believe, this song feels and sounds like a fantasy. It’s a waltz styled track but with Ottilie’s signature edge and personality shining through with every step it takes. Add in how Ottilie’s voice goes almost operatic with this track and, although almost to the end of the journey that is this album, you are left with a completely different sound and style of this super versatile musician.

Returning from the fantasy that is “Fantasy World” isn’t a super fun or easy thing to do, but Ottilie lessens the blow by following up that track with “Rose Gold Sun.” This triumphant and boisterous track filled me with such a positive feeling. The fantasy vibe is replaced by Ottilie’s signature childlike whimsy but more like a well-aged child. I felt supported by this song in a way that I don’t quite have the words to describe, but it was a beautiful and perfect feeling as this journey quickly came to a close.

‘Throughout The Day’ ends with “I Am Free,” which takes everything you know about Ottilie Wallace from this album and throws it out the window. This gorgeous folk song is heartbreakingly beautiful and truly showcases Ottilie’s vocal prowess while keeping with the “raw” feeling that is well and alive throughout this album. From the words to the vibe of this track, something about “I Am Free” feels timeless, making it the perfect way to close out this journey.

‘Throughout The Day’ from Ottilie Wallace isn’t your typical listen. It’s not super polished or super standard but that’s what makes it a gem of an album. Ottilie is one to watch for sure as we get deeper into 2025.

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