Emily Frembgen: No Hard Feelings

Hard to love, wrong idea, are you listening? While these appear to be messages I sent back when I was a part of the dating scene, they are not. Rather, they are just a few songs from No Hard Feelings, the fifth album from Emily Frembgen. Due out everywhere you can get your hands and ears on new music on September 13th via Don Giovanni Records, No Hard Feelings dances underneath the pale moonlight of country while basking in the rays of indie folk delights, all while highlighting Frembgen’s storytelling abilities. 

Emily Frembgen opens herself up to listeners with songs like “I Wish I Had a father” and “Magazines.” The parental tune highlights so much of her life thus far, even with just the title and not capitalizing “father,” showcasing that biology doesn’t make you a parent, being there does. She balances those deeply personal pages of her songwriting with more universal themes. Which, I’m sure, spawns from her own highs and lows in life, but overall she delivers “Hard to Love” and “Wrong Idea” in a way that feels like an extended hand. Her way of saying, we all feel like this sometimes, and that’s okay. 

The relatable factor of the aforementioned, more universal, tracks were notable points but there were a few I’d write home about first. One being “Fentanyl.” The heavy subject interlaced with one of the more upbeat arrangements was an appreciated move, while I lived for the solemn ways of “Poorgirl.” In the end, it was “Are You Listening?” that won me over time and time again. This is a song that reveals the power of simplicity, and just how therapeutic music can be. This track asks the questions that we too often ignore, and will serve many in the long run if they listen to themselves and answer honestly.  

Whether it’s diving into the sadness of “Poorgirl” or reliving choices with “Wrong Idea,’ No Hard Feelings is packed full of them. Fans of fellow storytellers like Weyes Blood and The Watson Twins will find solace in this new one from Emily Frembgen.

Emily Frembgen No Hard Feelings
Label: Don Giovanni Records
Release Date: September 13, 2024
Genre: Country, Indie Folk
Reasons to Sing Along: “Are You Listening?” “Poorgirl” and “Fentanyl”