ANTHONY CAMPBELL

And Since We’re Being Honest is the debut album by Madison Daley, a sophomore at the University of Colorado, Denver. Unlike most first works by budding musicians, this freshman release presents a great amount of depth and soul that is comparable to Adele’s 19 in its scope and prowess.

What is delivered is a moving treatise on teenage and young adult feelings of alienation, dissociation, isolation, and feeling like things can be a lot to carry sometimes. These themes are developed through songs written by Daley, featuring her dynamic vocals and precise guitar playing. Even if this is her first album, it hardly seems like it — its production and execution are those of a skilled technician.

This is truly an indie album, with almost all of the instrumentation and vocals being done solely by Daley, aside from a contribution on “Little Boy” by her friend Ruba. The listener will easily note the combined talent in poetics and harmonics. “Powerlines and Palm Trees” tackle suburban isolation and hopeful escape, whereas “Listen to Me Whine” makes a conscious effort to recognize how Daley knows there are bigger problems in the world, but it still seems like those affecting her are the most important, even if they are trivial.

“The Honest Song” still remains the climax and concluding track of the album, being the beautiful Paul McCartney-esque signoff begging to be followed with a sophomore release. Hopefully Daley has another LP on the way soon. This is one of the most remarkable debuts and albums of this year.

And Since We’re Being Honest can be streamed on Spotify and bought on iTunes.