Following a three-year hiatus, bedroom pop icon Faye Webster is back with her latest release, Undressed at the Symphony. Inspired by the countless nights Webster took herself to the symphony as therapy amid a breakup, the album serves as a counterpart to the whimsical love story of Webster’s 2021 album I Know I’m Funny haha. Though Webster works in new instrumental styles, the listener can still hear her honest lyricism shine through, something that fans know to expect from any Faye Webster song.
This album serves as a point of musical exploration for Webster, who mixes her soft-spoken voice and charming lyricism with a hybrid of genres. The country-inspired “Thinking About You” contrasts with soft jazz songs such as “Lifetime,” which are reminiscent of her earlier work. Nels Cline, guitarist of Wilco, whom Webster opened for on tour, is featured on “Wanna Quit All The Time” and “He Loves Me Yeah!”. The fourth track “Lego Ring” stands out as a playful departure from her usual work, featuring Webster’s childhood friend Lil Yachty.
In the first verse of “eBay Purchase History,” she sings “I could build and paint all day/But then there’s no one here for me to play.” Webster explores self-created destruction and solitude, exhibiting a raw quality also found in her previous work.
Summing up Webster’s ability to perfectly capture the mundanity of fractured moments of life, she closes her album with “Tttttime.” The song’s repetitive lyricism beautifully captures the feeling of being frozen in split seconds of a day, and her emphasis on the word “time” romanticizes the ever-so-typical moments which fill our days.
As a body of work, the album’s sonic inconsistency can feel jarring at times. While this may not be my favourite of her albums, with the tracks seeming a bit reclusive at times, it still has the soft, comforting feel of the type of music a fan can expect from Webster. Though she admits that the album’s title has no philosophical meaning, Webster’s work is evidence that she too is capable of mastering the symphonic feel she is so drawn to as a listener.
