Finding honesty, heart and pain in simple observation creates the bedrock for Ardeesi’s newest album, Feel Reel. The title itself says it all; feeling something requires you to move toward and into it while on the other hand, reeling from something painful requires you force yourself inward or away from the darkness. Ardeesi proves a 10-track, self-written and performed debut with massive emotion and fun.

Ardeesi touches on every emotion on this record starting with the first track, ‘Ray’ which deals with the loss of someone you’ve never met and questioning what could’ve been. “You traded in your spouse for a child” is the standout line on this track, showcasing the sacrifices life can require from us. The instrumentation provides a disco-esque dance with a moody bed of sound to sit upon.

On ‘Got a Plan’ we find someone who is searching for direction from the other in a relationship. Mistaking guidance for purpose, so many have altered their identities to include their significant others, sacrificing their true identity, and in turn, become a shell of themselves. In a relationship, either one person grows up and the other follows suit, the two grow up together, or neither decide to grow and remain stagnant. The plunky guitar and distant, muffled vocals almost sound as if they are coming through a telephone, signaling to the listener that Ardeesi is speaking directly to a lover from a different place or time.

My favorite track of the album, ‘Taking Out’ leads without pulsing stabs, matching the disappointment in the first few lines. “You left me on read, and every chat bubble in my head never got through.” The song then moves into a passionate realization that what might have been comfortable for along time is no longer working. The fingered high pitched guitar is almost in conversation with the vocals, each giving the other space to speak and in other moments competing with each other.

‘Dull’ provides us with the definitive quarantine lullaby, detailing life during a pandemic. The positive and cheery tone of the music is a symbol of hope for the future and a tell for how we put a glowing sheen on things in the past and life before the covid-19 pandemic. “Spending my time on the sofa. My mind is closed, my knife is dull.” When this is all over we may find that we are capable of more gratitude for the world around us than ever before.

Late 90s, pre 9/11, post punk comes to mind on the following track, ‘One Lapse’, a somber narrative of a girl finally letting go and having fun, only to be taken advantage of by “all of those boys had control.’ Ardeesi does a wonderful job illuminating the pain of what has happened to so many girls who go to a party and end up getting raped or worse and the subsequent torture and humiliation they receive from the apathetic peers around them. “In their heads you’re better off dead. Better make sure that it shows” is a telling line in how after these incidents, you leave your soul behind and can become a ghost of your former self.

Every track on Feel Reel delivers an ordinary and relatable experience while simultaneously leaving a lot up for interpretation. The lyrics are powerful yet simple and incredibly effective. Every line has something going for it and the vocals presented feather in perfectly with the instrumentation. With an extremely digestible 26 minute run time, Feel Reel can be treated as one cohesive piece to be experienced, in full, with every listen.

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