The indie singer-songwriter lays her heart bare on new single

After a successful debut album, a late-night TV debut on Jimmy Kimmel, and on the heels of opening for British YouTuber-turned-musician dodie on her United States Build A Problem tour, Lizzy McAlpine doesn’t seem to be on the verge of slowing down any time soon. The indie artist will be releasing her sophomore album, five seconds flat, due out 8th of April. The album features collaborations with other acclaimed artists Jacob Collier, Ben Kessler, Laura Elliot, and FINNEAS. 

In the third single from five seconds flat, McAlpine sings about chance meetings in a 7/11 that seem like the start to finding “the one” even though she has her skeletons in her closet (or ghosts, if you will). She hopes that this will work out and that maybe her ghosts won’t get in the way of things (“They know all of my habits, but they don’t know about you / I hope that’s true”), and daydreams of “the wedding of the year” between this newfound love. Or, the person she hopes she loves (“‘Cause I hate all my habits / But I happen to love you / I hope that’s true”). 

all my ghosts begins with an alluring acoustic setup that is taken to a new charm with McAlpine’s vocals. From there, it descends into a groovy arrangement of drums, catchy guitar riffs, and an aura of indie twilight. By the time the bridge comes in, the song has exploded into an incredible climax that is as joyful as the hypothetical wedding McAlpine sings of. Finishing with the acoustic style that it began with, the song comes back down to earth as she begins to realize that she’s holding onto hope. 

If there’s anything McAlpine knows how to do, it’s to create a song that has a style all her own while giving the essential singer-songwriter essence that so many indie listeners crave. all my ghosts isn’t a sad song, but it’s a great one about love, doubt, self-esteem, and hope that love can work even with the ghosts that haunt you. Being the third taste of five seconds flat, it’s been shown that Lizzy McAlpine has put in the effort to make a great follow-up to her debut album; it’s a must-listen.