It’s been a minute since The Aces have released new music, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic put a halt on proper album releases and tours. Yet, this brief stint has allowed the group to become an overnight sensation, with now over one million monthly listeners on Spotify.
Since debuting in 2018 with their album “When My Heart Felt Volcanic,” The Aces have matured immensely, transitioning from bedroom pop into an alt-rock sound that is more confident and wise than before. On their newest album “I’ve Loved You For So Long,” which dropped June 2, it finally feels like this band have grown into who they’ve wanted to be since their start.
While this is in no way a perfect album, this new record starts off strong with the title track and “Girls Make Me Wanna Die.” Singing from a queer perspective, The Aces have been able to open up to their fans with these tracks, not straying away from expressing their anxieties about falling in love. The latter track feels like you’re speeding down the highway, hence the fast tempo, as lead singer Cristal Ramirez admits to having a deadly crush.
Following these tracks comes the band’s lead single, “Always Get This Way.” On this song, Ramirez experiments with her vocal runs, hitting notes below her register to give off a 1980s disco-pop sound. What makes this song so good is that The Aces know they each have their own ways of coping with a failed relationship, usually through becoming nostalgic of the past, “I always get this way /At night, I do / If you could find it in your heart not to tear me apart / You'd be so kind.”
Even though “Solo” causes the tone of the album to become more lonely for close to three minutes, the group bounces back with “Not the Same.” Finally, The Aces allude to the harsher realities of dating, creating a breakup song that feels relatable and comforting all at once. Lyrics such as “The girl of my dreams has faded away / We're in different places / Miscommunications / Creating more spaces,” sees the band wave up their white flag, surrendering to love’s fate even if they are afraid to let go of someone they love.
“Suburban Blues” expands more on this sadness, except from a societal perspective. Once again writing about their experiences as queer women, The Aces reveal how living in a suburban town affected their confidence and self-acceptance. In particular, several lines standout amongst the rest as Ramirez says, “Everything I love I'm told I shouldn't touch / 'Cause good girls love Jesus / Not that girl from Phoenix / If I told you all this would you listen? / I'm stuck in my own mental prison,” and just after one listen, you can sense the trauma this band has buried within them.
A few tracks get lost after these emotional moments on the album, including “Person” and “Attention.” However, “Miserable,” dives more into the band’s views on their success, wondering if all their hard work to get to where they are now was even worth it. As they sing, “Sad I didn't go to college / And all my life-long friends aren't calling / Well at least I'm so successful / How can I complain?,” it’s another sign of the band’s maturity as they realize it’s okay to have doubts about one’s career path.
Another less notable track is “Stop Feeling,” as the recurring motifs of self-loathing start to lose some of their substance. With impressive lyrical content, it’s the overall sound of this song that just doesn’t flow along with the rest of the album, but for The Aces, it’s more of a sign for them to keep expanding on their sound.
Last comes “Younger,” acting as a sound ending to a cathartic and vulnerable tracklist. Reflecting on who they are now compared to who they were as teenagers, The Aces urge listeners to not be so hard on themselves and to accept who they are.
They say, “I wish I could go back just to tell her / It all will work out you’rе not gonna / Feel this way, not forever / And you'll lie awakе in tears 'til the morning / You're not gonna know everything when you're 14 / You don't even know at 25 / And that's alright,” and it’s nice to hear such a sentiment from a band who’s had a lot of ups and downs in their lives.
Overall, “I’ve Loved You For So Long” beats the commonly known notion that an artist’s third album is usually their worst, proving that its array of subject matter and perspectives is one to highly pay attention to throughout the rest of 2023.
Rating: 4 / 5
