Poppy is no stranger to releasing new and unusual music. November 15th saw her release her 6th studio album negative spaces, which was produced by former Bring Me The Horizon member Jordan Fish. Playing for 42 minutes in total, negative spaces contains 15 tracks, 2 of which are interludes, that bring a lot to the table.
Here I’ll be giving my thoughts on her highly anticipated new album. I’ll be discussing some of my favourite tracks, my thoughts on them, and finally, my overall rating. I wish I could discuss all 15 tracks but if I did, you’d be here forever which would probably be annoying!
The album opens with ‘have you had enough?’ which, to say the least, is a very strong opener. Poppy’s vocals here set the scene for the rest of the album, being both soft and innocent and dark and brutal, a theme often seen in her music. The song has an industrial feel which is reminiscent of a Nine Inch Nails song, which is perfect for me considering I like NIN!
Up next we have ‘the cost of giving up’, which was one of the pre-release tracks released around a month before the album’s release. This might potentially be my favourite song on the album. The vocals are haunting yet painful at times, and perfectly convey the message hidden in the lyrics. The song seemingly talks about someone who is stuck in a position where they are suffering, wishing for something better and debating giving up completely. The vocals and instrumental further emphasise this feeling, which makes the song so perfect for me.
‘they’re all around us’, another previously released song, also stood out to me. A more rageful song in comparison to its predecessor, ‘they’re all around us’ really shows everyone how amazing Poppy’s harsher vocals have grown to be in recent years, really making us feel like she has finally found who she wants to be. The anger felt in the lyrics of this track is almost frightening! This song is a really rowdy one, in a good way of course, and doesn’t fail to bring that unsettling feeling many Poppy tracks have brought in the past. Definitely a top track from this album in my opinion.
Putting the pre-releases aside, a song that was another favourite of mine was ‘the center’s falling out’. Yet another angry song that feels like something Knocked Loose would release (which is pretty funny considering the two released the GRAMMY-nominated song ‘Suffocate’ earlier this year). The lyrics in this song make me think of when someone makes you feel so hurt you simply throw away any ounce of sympathy as you feel like they have finally let their true colours show. They think they’re fooling everyone, refusing to “admit defeat”, but you’re not fooled. You know them for who they are, and so you refuse to give them the benefit of the doubt, for a good reason. I think I like this song so much not only because it’s so powerful, but because it’s something I can resonate with.
Overall, Poppy’s latest record is not one to skip. Every track compliments the next, and everything from the vocals to the production to the writing is high quality. Poppy is someone to keep an eye on as she continues to prove herself as an unpredictable yet outstanding musician. Poppy is the textbook definition of unexpected, since you never know what genre or style of music she’s going to come out with next. She is most certainly an iconic figure in the modern alternative scene, something many would agree with. I can say without a doubt that negative spaces is my favourite Poppy album alongside her 2020 release I Disagree. The future looks incredibly promising for her, as if the previous years haven’t been good enough for her.
Album of the year 2024? Maybe!