When things become stagnant, they don’t just slow down. Stagnant water collects, usually in a confined space, and with no current to move it, it begins to smell unpleasant. Upon coming into contact with it, you can tell that it is an unhealthy, unsafe state.

brother bird is a project from Nashville-based singer/songwriter caroline. And while another year is her most romantic-sounding collection yet, drawing from the Cranberries' melodic vibe, the shoegaze influence of Mazzy Star, and the guitar tones of Big Thief, under the surface lies a common muse: waiting for something to happen. And under all the pretty, soothing sounds on the record lies the particular style of caroline. “I would say I’m a happy person and playfully sarcastic. But I get the most raw and honest I can be in my lyrics. My music is kind of like a vessel.” And it starts with a song that’s as raw and honest as they come, “i’m sorry.” It flew right out of the stagnant space caroline found herself in, surprisingly fast and near the end of the writing and recording process — almost as if shaking her creative bottle knocked something important loose. “It sounds more and feels more romantic, but if you zoom out a little bit, I don't know that it is. I feel close to the words, and I'm still kind of figuring out why,” caroline says.

The tracks “something better” and “quitter,” are twin flames embodying that style: confessional, with a touch of satire and a drizzle of dissatisfaction. Okay, more than a touch — caroline’s friends and collaborators had to be reassured she was okay after hearing them. “It feels like everyone has all these really impressive things to say, and I'm holding on to things I did years ago,” caroline says, naming imposter syndrome as an inspiration.

Captain of the ship is the role caroline gave herself in creating Brother Bird, and on her first LP, gardens, she worked closely with friends and mentors Andy Hull and Robert McDowell of Manchester Orchestra. On another year, she co-produced and wrote the songs, working with producer Owen Lewis. “I think it's hilarious to put that much effort into an album with a common theme of wishing that I could do anything else. But this, unfortunately, feels like what I'm supposed to do and what I'm here to do,” caroline says.

Her songwriting floats through challenging times, struggling with the big questions that face humanity and how we navigate our most intimate relationships on “state of mind,” “ghost,” and “always.” “suburbs” veers down a road not taken, while “final scene” creates a love song for the end of the world. Which…hey, isn’t that right about now?

“famous” addresses her history — caroline came into the spotlight after an appearance on season 4 of The Voice. “I have around ten versions of this song, it was going to be on my first, self-titled EP from 2018,” she remembers. After multiple rewrites and sessions with different producers, it finally went from the pain in the ass song she couldn’t give up on into a bitingly funny commentary on self-doubt and the crippling anxiety that can come packaged with a certain level of fame. The experience of being on a reality competition show informed caroline’s ambition in the music industry. It made her certain she didn’t want to be a product because actually making music was what she cares about.

brother bird is music that lives in tight, intimate spaces, based on real experience and full of the embarrassments and small indignities that come with being human, as filtered through the eyes and pen of caroline.