Album Review // Billie Eilish // HIT ME HARD AND SOFT
4/5 stars
The sibling duo of Billie Eilish and Finneas O'Connell reach the pinnacle of their musical partnership on HIT ME HARD AND SOFT.
With numerous awards under her belt and a set lane in popular music, Eilish puts the music first on her third record. There was little marketing built up to the record's release — an oddity in the age of streaming. No TikTok snippets. No advance singles. Just the album's 44-minute runtime, meant to be ingested as a cohesive whole.
Lyrically, HIT ME HARD AND SOFT is pinpoint-focused on discussing the tumultuous nature of relationships. From the sexual affairs of "Lunch" to the disillusionment of "L'Amour De Ma Vie," Eilish unleashes her romantic crescendo for the world to witness.
Said form of musical expression is not new — however, the delivery is aided to perfection by O'Connell's production. His varied medley of orchestral flourishes, electronic passages, and guitar riffs provide the record a needed feeling of movement.
While concise to the nth degree, HIT ME HARD AND SOFT packs an emotive and musically diverse punch. One of the more unique voices in modern popular music, Billie Eilish continues to excite.
