Show Me How You Disappear

Further expanding the idiosyncratic noise pop of her band, songwriter Jilian Medfords third IAN SWEET album, Show Me How You Disappear, steps up the production while adding shimmery synths to a sound palette still rooted in a combination of distortion and sweet-toothed melodies. Several producers collaborated on various songs, among them Andrew Sarlo (Big Thief, Hand Habits) and Andy Seltzer (Maggie Rogers, Chelsea Cutler). Recorded in early 2021 after Medford entered treatment for worsening panic attacks, many of the lyrics here address the aftermath of trauma, related relationships, and repetitive thought patterns. Despite its fretful state of mind (evident in song titles like Dirt and Sing til I Cry), bittersweet tunefulness and the singers youthful, rasp-free delivery keep Show Me How You Disappear squarely in indie pop territory. The dance club-injected Sword, for instance, features a grooving bassline, spongy synth tones, and handclap-like snare overlays. Together with a repeated melodic, high-pitched whooping effect, the arrangement gives playful accompaniment to lines like, How do I start to feel less like a deadly weapon?/After you made me believe I have the sharpest edges? Although the record opens with screeching feedback and a sung-spoken rant (My Favorite Cloud), it quickly settles into a mix of layered acoustic and heavily processed timbres, catchy melodies, and thickset beats, as on second track Drink the Lake. While songs like the wistful Dirt and I See Everything are sparser to begin, they collect instruments and noise as they progress (unexpected horns and staticky electronics in the case of the latter), as if to represent an inescapable weight. If undeniably anxious, the album is ultimately about healing, ending with the words Im not afraid anymore/I see it now, I see so much more than before/I see everything. Its also IAN SWEETs most consistent set of songs to date. ~ Marcy Donelson