Girl in Red, also known as Marie Ulven Ringheim, is a Norwegian teen that has built a career for herself in the music industry. Her latest EP, ‘Chapter 2,’ perfectly tells her experiences from being a part of the LGBT community, to dealing with mental health in today’s society. Each track shares a different story that can easily be heard because of her exceptional musicianship.
Song Title: “watch you sleep.”
Right away, the album starts with simple and artful guitar licks that are soft, but noticeable, along with velvet, breathy vocals. About halfway through the song, the strum of a bass comes in accompanied by the beat of hi-hats and cymbals bringing in a nostalgic, yet mysterious vibe to the track. The overall song portrays how observant she is over her partner, always wanting to know more with lyrics like, “I never get bored of looking at you / ‘Cause every time, I see something new / Like the scar on your spine / You fell off a roof when you were nine.”
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Song Title: “i need to be alone.”
The simple guitar strums, beat of drums and monotone vocals instantly start off the second track of the EP. With the melody on a continuous loop, it creates a sense of repetitiveness that correlates to the overall message of the song of needing change. Lyrics like, “I’m waiting for something to change / ‘Cause every day just feels the same / It’s getting harder to exist / I don’t want to feel like this,” portray the anxiousness of Ringheim. Towards the very end, the instrumental picks up overriding the vocals which further intensifies the song.
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Song Title: “dead girl in the pool.”
Counting off “1, 2, 3, 4,” the third track starts with an acoustic guitar creating a reminiscent vibe ,while Ringheim tells a story about the morning after a house party. As soon as the chorus begins with “There’s a dead girl in the pool / I don’t know what to do / I’m the dead girl in the pool,” drums and tambourines are added to concentrate the overwhelming anxiousness of the singer. But as soon as she begins another verse, it goes back to just the acoustic guitar, making the song feel calm again. Overall, the track perfectly tells a story while giving inner commentary on the situation with its lyrics and instrumentals.
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Song Title: “i’ll die anyway.”
Continuing with her simple harmonies created by strums of a guitar and a light beat from drums, this track brings out the most nostalgic feeling on the album. With lyrics like, “I think back to when / Life was good, I was content / But it’s been so many years / I can’t remember how it feels,” it portrays how the singer herself is feeling sentimental about memories. When the bridge transitions into the chorus, the instrumentals grow louder and increases the tempo, giving off a more exciting and wishful feeling to the rest of the song. Personally, I think it is the perfect song to listen to while driving down a long road with the windows rolled down.
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Song Title: “bad idea!”
Ringheim finishes off the EP with a rock sound compared to her normal indie sound. The last track starts off with a strong melody mainly created by the bass, which gives off a mysterious feeling of anger. Yet she still manages to incorporate some of her indie sounds when a simple guitar riff is added on top of the bass when the chorus comes. The overall tone of the sound is regret with lyrics like “It was a bad idea to think I could stop / Was such a bad idea, I can’t get enough,” showing how she is overthinking the current situation she had put herself in.
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