The sun starts to set earlier. Late-night library study sessions make their way into a daily planner. Pumpkin-spice flavored snacks fill the grocery store shelves. Fall is upon us, and with each season change comes a new genre of music. My upbeat summer pop-and-country playlist makes its way out of my most recently played section of Spotify, and a calmer, rock infused playlist that I haven’t touched since last November makes its return. However, bringing back an old playlist means it can get old quickly without new songs to add. Almost as if Goldie Boutilier knew I needed to revamp a playlist, she dropped the perfect album.
Boutilier’s new album, Goldie Montana, is the perfect season-transition album. Michigan weather is ever changing so it feels too rash to jump into my Hozier filled playlist, accompanied by a scarf wrapped around my head and winter coat that goes down to my ankles. It also doesn’t feel right to play Zach Bryan when I’m not wearing jorts, driving with my windows down and sunroof open. Luckily, “Favorite Fear” from Boutilier’s new album is the perfect song to fill this musical void.
The song begins with a light percussion tapping with a guitar riff that instantly draws you in and could make your next step have ten times more confidence than your last one. Throughout the song, this instrumental becomes the foreground, building tension you can feel in your chest. This song truly tells an entire story which Boutilier doesn’t allow you to skip ahead in, letting the guitars and drums build-up before entering the song in a whisper-like tone singing “ Like a tiger in a cage holding in its rage.” Throughout the song, as the tempo falls and builds up again, Boutilier will continue to cut into the song, drawing a focus to her voice repeating “I’m your favorite fear.”
The instrumental, paired with Boutilier’s unique voice, is perfection. She goes back and forth between a raspy-hushed like voice to a higher register all to encapsulate the lyrics. Each near-whisper draws you in, and feels like the crisp fall breeze that hits you in the face on the walk to class. Each chorus feels like the exhale let out after seeing the sunshine peak out on a gloomy fall day. Between all those moments is the line that sticks with me: “I was beautiful then and I’m beautiful now.” It’s an unapologetic acceptance of who we used to be, who we are now, and who we want to become with the changing season.
The second this song is over I find myself reaching to hit the replay button. If you find yourself looking for new music to accompany this fall weather, grab your wired headphones, put on your leather jacket and blast “Favorite Fear” by Goldie Boutilier the first chance you get.
