LA-based singer-songwriter Courtney Farren released her debut EP Rabbit King today. Rabbit King is a beautiful example of an album that is cohesive yet diverse in its elements. Her lyrics are deeply introspective, her vocals are melodic yet haunting, and her overall sound is tantalizing and captivating.
Track 1 is entitled "King." It begins with a low-fi-toned beat that is seductive and enamoring. This track feels like the moment in a movie when the hero has finally started. When they’ve climbed the hill and seen the sun break through the clouds. It feels fresh and contemporary, and for Courtney, well, “I’m just getting started, I’m the king.”
Track 2 is called "White Rabbit." This track was previously released and was featured on the Paramount+ show The L-Word: Generation Q. Listeners are immediately hit with a fun, bright beat. This track “had me at hello,” as it says. "White Rabbit" feels warm, like the feeling that buds at the beginning of a new relationship. Farren vocalizes that someone had her at hello, much like how the white rabbit had Alice at hello: captivated, enamored, enthralled. This is the perfect way to describe how this EP makes listeners feel: captivated and wanting more.
Track 3 is "Care." The lyric “I’m scared one day I won’t care and I won’t even know it” is haunting, yet incredibly true. This song felt like a battle within yourself, wrestling with your restless mind. Talking about mental health is, thankfully, becoming a less taboo topic of conversation. As someone who struggles with anxiety, this song made me feel seen because, at some point, will our minds just tell us to not care anymore? The track continues as “I don’t want to let go, do I have to?” repeats over and over, like a mantra to keep going. Courtney bares it all in this track, doing it beautifully.
The final track is titled "Happy." Despite the title, this song talks about knowing in your head that happiness is possible, but you don’t physically feel happy. Courtney’s saccharine vocals, heavy lyrics, and melodic track blend together to create a melancholic masterpiece that is sure to keep listeners thinking long after the song is over. The biggest takeaway from this track is that no matter how alone you feel in your head, you are not alone in the world.
Rabbit King is a modern, melodic, melancholic masterpiece created by one of the freshest upcoming singer-songwriters. I enjoyed and devoured every second of this album, and cannot wait to see where Courtney Farren takes her career.
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