By Charlie Maybee
Becky Krill’s new album, Little Girl, shows the Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter spreading her musical wings with a slew of guitar-driven songs with strong pop sensibilities. Within the first few tracks, it becomes clear that the titular little girl is Krill herself recalling key moments from her past. As she becomes an early lyrical motif referenced multiple times, she sets up a larger narrative arc about self-reflection and learning to grow from challenging situations that echoes throughout the album.
It’s specifically worth highlighting the song “Bubble,” the album’s leading single, for its blunt take on handling oppressive systems of power based on identity. When speaking about its creation, Krill explains that it “explores how our gender, race, and overall identities can put us in harm’s way and encourages everyone (especially young women) to stand up to bullies, racists, chauvinists, and oppressors of all kinds.”
Lyrically, she reproduces some memories, yet formative memories as examples for us to look out for in our own lives. Within this vulnerability, there is a complimentary strength as we experience the complicated space between being simultaneously sad yet encouraged. Krill knows how to musically fan the fire in a person’s spirit.
Overall, this is a wonderful addition to Becky Krill’s body of work. With stellar production and songwriting, this is an earnest album with a lot of heart. It’s a matter of time before these songs inevitably find themselves on playlists everywhere, so be sure to include them on your own. Personally, I think the album functions perfectly as a post-workday soundtrack. It’s just the uplift I need after a long day.
Little Girl can be streamed on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, Bandcamp, and SoundCloud.
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Charlie Maybee is a dancer, musician, educator, and writer based in Charleston, South Carolina who currently teaches with the Dance Program at the College of Charleston. His primary work as an artist is with his performing collective, Polymath Performance Project, through which he makes interdisciplinary performance art that centers tap dance as the primary medium of expression and research. He also currently plays rhythm guitar for the Charleston-based punk band, Anergy, and releases music as a solo artist under the name Nox Eterna.
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