Still There’s a Glow is a hard-fought document of self-reflection and growth–raw and real, and stacked with lyrical honesty. Written and recorded in the wake of a whirlwind three years following their 2022 debut LP, Where the Heart Is–and after scrapping essentially an entire album’s worth of demos–Still There’s a Glow is a dynamic, cathartic journey of making conscious change within oneself. “I went through some depression last spring, and then I went into therapy. It was also a big turning point in my life as I was about to turn 30, while I’d written our first record when I was graduating from college–that’s a big change,” Youssef explains. “I could’ve kept making bad choices because they’re easy, but I had to come clean to myself. Half the album was written before and the other half after, so the songs are kind of hard on myself but some are also hopeful, with a light at the end of the tunnel. You put out a fire, there’s still an ember that’s still glowing–that’s the record. It’s about being at a low and climbing out of it.” The close-knit group–Youssef, guitarists Jayce Williams and Sean McCall, bassist Ryan Cullen, and drummer Chris Kearney–had been going virtually nonstop since the release of Where the Heart Is (Topshelf). They went on tour with bands including La Dispute and The Wonder Years, embarked on their own headlining runs–organically growing a devoted fanbase with their passionate live show, which Stereogum has lauded as “an immensely charming powerhouse…songs that obliterate the distinctions between power and finesse, between pop and hardcore, between emo and the larger continuum of crowd-pleasing rock ‘n’ roll.” The young band earned co-signs from stars like Hayley Williams and Doja Cat, while continuing to tour nonstop worldwide and play festivals like Best Friends Forever, Riot Fest, and Outbreak. Though they were writing all the while, the exhaustion of new expectations and such an intense touring regimen took its toll: when the time came for Sweet Pill to begin recording their next album, Youssef was blocked, still figuring out what and how she wanted to sing on nearly half the songs. The band decided to start fresh and step away from most of the demos they’d created, choosing to instead pause, look inward, and move on their own time in order to ease the pressure they had been heaping on themselves over the past three years. This is where Still There’s a Glow really begins. Gathering additional new material from her bandmates helped to unlock Youssef lyrically, and the entire undertaking marked a shift in Sweet Pill’s creative dynamic: it is their first release written fully as a group, and with the current line-up. Ushering in a new era of the band, they wanted to encapsulate the energy of their live show in the new recordings, and honed in on their individual parts with that in mind. And from the first note, Still There’s a Glow sounds like a band that has put itself back together, with lyrics throughout that feel deeply determined in the face of daily struggles with pressure and self-doubt. The album has a more elevated sound that highlights Sweet Pill’s evolution. Crisply recorded by Gradwell House wizards Matt Weber (producer, engineer, mixing) and Dave Downham (mastering), the songs are big and hard-hitting yet also at times showcase a quieter new direction while still feeling familiar. Some are upbeat and affirmative, while others glimmer and smolder, woven around Youssef and McCall’s interplaying vocals. And many are belied by titles that are largely surreal depictions of fire and destruction, emblematic of Youssef’s journey of self-confrontation, burning down and rebuilding how she moves through her life and her personal relationships. Still There’s A Glow captures a time marked by change and progression, and finds Sweet Pill emerging stronger and better than ever. “Seeing Zayna change influenced the band–we grew, both as songwriters and as people,”explains Williams. Youssef adds, “A lot of the album is about the hurdle of being kind to yourself, making good choices for yourself. This was our first time writing as a band and to an audience, and it’s so honest and vulnerable. I hope it makes people feel like they can be honest with themselves in the same way.” |
