Twenty-six Days - Grace Calver (A Review)

After one of the greatest countdowns (lasting for, of course, twenty-six days), Grace Calver has finally released a personal favourite of mine, “Twenty-six days”. With influences from Waterparks, Beabadoobee, and of course the most accurate Lily Allen! Grace’s music never lacks personality which is something I admire greatly, particularly in the confusing world of modern-day music. It can be incredibly hard for artists to find their own styles, especially with genres constantly evolving, but Grace clearly has the knack to let her sound reflect her vibrant personality. 

The track as a whole details a modern spiral romance, a quick-witted track which covers ignoring the warning signs of a relationship. Grace Calver’s authentic tongue-in-cheek lyrics and themes all equate for the perfect indie-pop song. The love story, although quick, has definitely benefitted the fans of Grace, with a fan-favourite lyric “Do you send a Catfish song to all the girls you’re chatting up” which adds the familiar sense of humor to the frustration of the line. It dives headfirst into the mess of online dating, late-night calls mixing in with suspicion. 

Without a doubt, the lyrics encapsulate a feeling of promise, which slowly unravels. There is definitely a clear theme of internal conflict, which is covered. The fight between ignoring red flags, and an urge for real connection. Covering the issues of social media is definitely a strong topic for Grace, as this is not the first time we have seen her address these issues, For instance, her song, “Zombie Conversations" which explores the monotony of day-to-day conversations, also emphasises the draining effects of screen driven romance.

Not to mention the rapid drumbeat, lasting throughout the song, but fading at the passive agressive lyrics  is so satisfying to me:

“Do you send a Catfish song to all the girls you’re chatting up?

Cos you sent me ‘Soundcheck’ and you said that it was us…

You can’t even complain about being in this song

Cos your girlfriend would know you were stringing me along

I hope that one day she finds out what you’re like

Then she can tell you to get on your bike”

The angriest verses are sung beautifully, with a smooth blanket of acoustics wrapping around the astute lyrics. To me, this only furthers Grace’s earlier messages about the loss of pure connection which only occurs due to the intense craving for screens. Grace has truly done it again, another pop song which you can somehow; laugh, dance, and cry to?