Snappy/Deep Balance Perfected on Taylor Acorn’s “Certified Depressant”
Taylor Acorn is back this week with her brand-new EP titled Certified Depressant. Her previous releases including “Do That Again”, “In My Head”, and “Shapeshifting” have undoubtedly left the pop-punk community waiting for more. Her music is personal but relatable, diving into topics such as mental health and relationship struggles; and she wants nothing more for her listeners than to create a safe space where they too, can feel seen and heard.
Acorn opens up the EP with “Sticking Around,” a track about questioning someone else’s actions, even when they’re good ones; which is something we can all relate to. She’s asking this person how they could possibly want to stay, despite her self-deprecation, and the dark parts of her life. “Sticking Around” is a great way to open this collection of songs because it sets the tone for the rest of the EP that is to follow. It’s catchy and makes you want to know what’s to come, with switches in tempo, from intense drums to softer sections that feel more personal. She closes out the track with a snippet of her talking, where she says “like, seriously.” Which rounds out the entire song in and of itself, by ending by continuing to question the person she’s singing to.
Following “Sticking Around,” we’re immediately taken into the title track “Certified Depressant.” I think that her choice to put the title track as the second song and not the first or last is a unique and smart one. Title tracks are often worked up to be the “be all, end all” of albums, and by putting it second, she’s introducing and infusing the idea, rather than solely focusing on this one thing. The song opens with a catchy guitar riff, and a great build-up to the first chorus, which is infectiously catchy; as well as the bridge, which is flawlessly done. I could easily see this song becoming a massive hit, considering it includes all of the elements that together build a perfect song. Up next at track 3 we have “I Think I’m in Love,” which is an amazing piece, as well. This song specifically really displays Acorn’s incredible vocals, especially in the chorus which is more stripped back. The second chorus is the complete opposite of the first, considering it takes us back into that energetic place, with heavy instrumental. I find her choice in changing the tones of the choruses really interesting, and can’t think of any other songs where I’ve heard a shift like this, which is really cool. A minor thing like this can really give a song much more substance which is exactly what happened here.
At the midpoint of this EP, we have “Good Enough,” which begins as a slower song, with just Taylor Acorn and her guitar. She sings about not being enough, and not pretending to be OK. The first line of the chorus reflects the intense tone change that we experience when she sings “My reflection is my worst critic; I try my best but I’m still singing.” This line is one of my favorite lyrics from this entire EP. The sense that she is eluding to the fact that if she were to not be doubting herself so much, she wouldn’t be here singing about her self-deprecation, is a beautiful metaphor.
Track 5, “Famous Last Words” opens up with a catchy electric guitar and a wordy but snappy pre-chorus. The best way I could describe this song is soundtrack-worthy. Upon my first listen, I was immediately trying to think of a movie that could pair well with this track, because it has an aura that is meant to be accompanying a bigger story. Especially when it shifts to just acoustic guitar and her singing for a brief moment. Not to mention her vocals on this one, which are strong and powerful. Going right into the next song which is titled “Psycho,” I loved the first line and how it precedes the rest of the song. “Never been one of the crazy ones” is such a clever way to open a song called “Psycho,” nonetheless. I also loved the line “I’m not a villain but you made me one.” I think this is an incredible way to describe what relationships and toxic partners can do to you, including shifting your entire attitude and/ or personality for a period of time. That sort of revelation takes a copious amount of self-reflection and Acorn worded it in a way that sums up an entire feeling.
“Coma” is the penultimate track, and it is full of energy and emotion. This song is about blaming oneself for someone else’s mistakes, an incredibly relatable feeling. The chorus of this song is easily one of the best from the EP, and I think that this track was a perfect length. Following “Coma,” we’re taken into the final track, which is “Everything Sucks.” Title-wise, this wraps up the tone of the entire album, which the general feeling is, that everything does indeed suck, in one way or another. The metaphor about the cloud over her head that’s obsessed and won’t leave her alone, was so intriguing to me. The punchy chorus leaves us with a really solid closing for this EP, and the layering in the bridge to me reflects the way it feels to think about these topics. I found it notable to mention that there are a few seconds of a dwindling melody at the end of the song, which I love, especially for a closing track on an album. I think it leaves room for what’s to come, and without such an abrupt ending.
Overall, Taylor Acorn’s Certified Depressant did not leave us disappointed whatsoever. This collection of emotional, catchy, attention-grabbing songs was perfect all around, and it is available to listen to on all streaming platforms!
