In 2010 she began recording her debut album. In 2011 she announced the record’s release date (which was soon after pushed back). In 2012 the album title changed from Wild at Heart to I’m Not Alright along with the release of Ghost EP which received critical acclaim, and included the single ‘Everything is Embarrassing’ which was produced and written with Dev Hynes and Ariel Rechtshaid and went on to sell 19,000 downloads to date. In 2013, the album’s title once again changed from I Will to Night Time, My Time.
It’s been a long wait, but perhaps no more so than for Sky Ferreira herself. Having made her name back in 2010 with singles like ‘17’, ’Obsession’ and ‘One’ Ferreira has experienced way more than your average handful of ups and downs through the industry. Having first signed to a label back in 2009, Ferreira experienced what she refers to as “record label hell”. With seven single releases, nine music videos and two EPs under her belt, it has been a hell of a long journey for the now 21-year-old, but finally, Night Time, My Time her debut album has been released via Capitol Records and it’s fair to say after all those years of fast-lived hype and media run ins; Sky you’ve done yourself proud.
The record begins with track ‘Boys’, a punchy-pop song with a school-girl feel as she refers to the men in her life as ‘boys’. The electro-beat and vulnerable tone together make the perfect opening track as it intrigues you to listen on.
I first heard ’24 Hours’ when it was released as a taster the week before the album’s release and found that I became slightly obsessed with it. The track echoes with an eighties influence; an electro-pop ballad at its finest. Distinct chimes and powerful synths make it feel like such a classic, so much so that you would like to see it come up on a karaoke night, just to have the reason to belt it out.
The gutsy vocal on ‘I Blame Myself’ demonstrates Ferreira’s ability to convey her emotions with such depth, without sounding cheesy (a talent that not many hold). “How could you know what it feels like to fight the hounds of hell? You think you know me so well”. It’s a confident track that takes a bold and honest stance; she recently posted the song lyrics on her tumblr account after the coverage of her arrest alongside boyfriend Cole Smith (from the band DIIV) for drug possession.
‘You’re Not the One’ is possibly one of the more upbeat, dance tracks alongside ‘Nobody Asked Me (If I Was Okay)’ and ‘Heavy Metal Heart’. These tracks are a lot more nineties-grunge sounding. We find an electronic-guitar riff and gain a bouncy pop rock vibe.
Perhaps one of the album’s best tracks is ‘Love in Stereo, the emotional state found throughout makes it so relatable to any teen-girl. With the soft synths under the confused vocal, is where we find Ferreira perhaps at one of the most delicate points on the album, as she yelps at a past romance. It’s fair to say the track stands out and sparkles.
The record as a whole has a feel of experimentation and exploration, as she figures out what her personal sound is; a less depressive tone than ‘Everything is Embarrassing’ and holding the confidence of ‘One’ in a matured way. With track titles such as ‘Omanko’ (Japanese for Vagina), the combination of eighties pop and nineties grunge and topping that off with the controversial artwork, it’s fair to say the Sky has her head held up high and is throwing everything out there for all to see.
Say what you like about Sky Ferreira, this electro-pop infused album is clearly one of 2013’s best.
