Known as a backing vocalist and best friend to Gracie Abrams for many years, Audrey Hobert’s debut album “Who’s the Clown” has finally given her a chance to step into her own spotlight. And although it’s her first official album, long-time Abrams’ listeners quickly caught on to the recognizable soft-spoken lyrics and bedroom pop vibe of the album. As an Abrams fan myself, I was curious to see if she would stray away from the familiar vibe or follow in her best friend’s footsteps.
Overall, the album feels all too familiar, yet still disappointing in certain aspects. The lead single, “Sue me,” quickly became a viral song on TikTok, raising my hopes for the album, but the rest of the songs were overall average, which did not meet Abrams’ standards, or even the standards of “Sue me.”
12. Shooting star- 3.5/10
“Shooting star” lacks pull and has little variation in volume, beat and vocal inflection. It is a very flat, boring listening experience that fails to stand out.
11. Phoebe- 4.4/10
“Phoebe” is a clear reference to Friends, which I find more relatable to the S** and the City references in the next song. It has a catchy beat, but doesn’t distinguish itself from the rest of the album.
10. S** and the city- 4.8/10
“S** and the City” is the slowest, most acoustic song on the album. It is hard to find relatable lyrics in this song, especially because, in my opinion, the references to the 90s HBO show, “S** and the City,” feel outdated. Hobert has a teenage audience, and the show stopped airing in 2004. Overall, it comes across as low-energy and somewhat boring.
9. Don’t go back to his a**- 5.2/10
“Don’t go back to his a**” tunes into the life of teenage girls, and has a very strong bridge. However, the music feels slow for the emotionally charged lyrics, making the song feel almost mismatched. It had a lot of wasted potential.
8. Chateau- 5.9/10
“Chateau” is pretty slow compared to the other tracks, but the beat builds up gradually throughout the song. It makes a nod to Hobert’s nepotism. The slowness bored me a lot, but the lyricism was good.
7. I like to touch people- 6.3/10
“I like to touch people” is very upbeat, but contains some odd innuendos, making it seem like she means physically touching people, not emotionally. It can be distracting from the actual plot of the song, which doesn’t come through until halfway into the song. It tends to be repetitive and lacks clarity, but the energy is prevalent throughout, putting it above many of the other slow tracks.
6. Drive- 7.4/10
While “Drive” has a more pop-punk feeling, the song feels overly autotuned, which makes it lose some appeal and feel robotic. The drums are very prominent, and the beat keeps the song moving, but with the song coming in at just 2:18, it feels somewhat incomplete.
5. Wet Hair- 7.6/10
“Wet Hair” is softer than most of the other songs on the album, but still upbeat and happy. The second verse is very fast-paced, and it’s hard to keep track of what Hobert is saying in certain parts. The vocals on the outro are especially strong and make a great way for the song to end.
4. Bowling alley- 8.4/10
“Bowling alley” also had its moment on TikTok, though not as big as “Sue me.” It tells a strong story, and the chorus follows the same beat but changes lyrics to keep the story moving. The song ends rather abruptly, but I feel like it is fitting.
3. Silver Jubilee- 8.5/10
“Silver Jubilee” is one of the strongest tracks on the album. It is very upbeat and engaging. It caught my attention immediately and maintained a strong vibe throughout, unlike the songs before it on the tracklist. As the final track on the album, it is a fun, upbeat way to end the album.
2. Thirst Trap- 8.7/10
“Thirst Trap” feels like it was written just for teens, and it uses humor as a coping mechanism in its lyrics. The inclusion of a saxophone in the song adds a touch of nostalgia to the 2010s, when many songs included saxophone solos.
1. Sue me- 9.3/10
“Sue me” quickly gained popularity on TikTok shortly after its release. Although repetitive, similar to many other songs on the album, many listeners, including myself, found it relatable. The bridge significantly enhances the song, but the outro stands out as the best part. It’s a very strong, memorable track, and was a good selection for a leading single.
Overall, I felt “Who’s the Clown” was repetitive and the lack of hits after the success of “Sue me” was disappointing. The average song rating was a 6.7, and I feel that accurately represents the album. A few of the songs were able to keep the upbeat vibe, but many were too slow and bored me quickly.