Review: GRACIE ABRAMS - “Daughter from Hell”

Going from the full 9 of Rolling Stone USA (the fateful 4.5 stars that decree it as «his…

GRACIE-ABRAMS-Daughter-from-Hell-new-album-2026

Go from 9 full of Rolling Stone Use to the laconic 4 saddled by the The Guardian it is the classic glitch of contemporary criticism.

An abyss of diametrically opposed perceptions that forces us to ask ourselves: has Gracie Abrams really signed her generational manifesto or is she selling us yet another hyper-curated aesthetic of suffering?

Co-written and produced with the omnipresent Aaron Dessner, “Daughter from Hell” aims to capture the fluctuating uncertainty and emotional turbulence of the twenties, crafting a formative chapter that would like to be intimate but, at the same time, widely universal.

On paper, the meticulous narrative is all there: sixteen tracks that unfold like a war bulletin between blades, bullets, burning houses, car accidents and blood on the knees. A fair of trauma-dumping lyrical that would like to justify the title, the parable of a twenty-six year old who reworks her neuroses as a reckless teenager who put her parents' nerves to the test.

The thematic core, after all, would have its own dignity: investigating the thin line between blaming others and assuming one's responsibilities in the transition to adulthood. Yet the final rendition teeters dangerously between thoughtful maturity and Tumblr-era adolescent melodrama.

The real cognitive dissonance lies in the incurable clash between this gothic-emotional arsenal and the insistent, almost anesthetizing composure of the music.

Gracie sings and Dessner applies his usual pastel paint, but the result is that, after a good hour of this monochromatic intimacy, the soporific effect takes over.

The emotional tension flattens out to such an extent that the only real jolt of adrenaline comes from the irrepressible temptation to press “stop” on the player to regain a shred of heartbeat. Maybe I'm not right mood of listening to tune into these hyper-melancholy frequencies, or perhaps sixteen variations on the same languor would test anyone's patience.

Anyone who sees an absolute masterpiece has let himself be hypnotized by the surface; those who dismiss it with a 4 perhaps reject a priori its subtle, albeit calculated, confessional aesthetic. The truth is that “Daughter from Hell” it doesn't come from hell at all: it's just yet another, very elegant and soporific golden limbo of contemporary pop.

TO LISTEN NOW

Hit the Wall – Look at My Life – Minibar

TO BE SKIPPED IMMEDIATELY

One listen is more than enough!

SCORE: Score 6.00

THE VOTES OF OTHERS

Rolling Stone (USA) – Rating 9.00
Associated Press – Rating 8.00
Consequence – Rating 6.70
Pitchfork – Rating 6.20
The Guardian – Rating 4.00

TRACKLIST

Hit the Wall
Death Wish
The Knife
Daughter from Hell
Look at My Life
Good Reason
Men Like You
Sober
Broke My Heart
Mews
Minibar
Imaginary Friend
Afflictions
Humming
What If It's Right?
Cold Goodbye