The Beaches

Canadian quartet The Beaches have released their third studio album ‘No Hard Feelings’, a power pop project with unabashed lyricism and carefully curated instrumentation which explores honesty, self-love, empowerment and heartbreak.

The first track ‘Can I Call You in the Morning?’ uses pop-punk influences to set the tone for the LP. Lead singer (and bassist), Jordan, wears her heart on her sleeve as lyricism focuses on airing unfiltered frustrations to a partner; but then feeling apologetic in the aftermath. This honest openness is seen within the lyrics: “I liked your old band, but not the new songs / Should we just break up then? (Never mind) / I don’t mean that, I’m sorry / Can I call you in the morning?”

Tracks ‘Did I Say Too Much’ and ‘Sorry For Your Loss’ explore the red flags in modern dating and the necessity to protect your self-worth. ‘Did I Say Too Much’ places a powerful drum beat as its foreground to emphasise the outpouring of raw and vulnerable emotion within its main vocal. The track (which was released ahead of the album), depicts the complexity of falling for someone of the same-sex whilst that person is in a straight relationship. Using imagery of compulsory heterosexuality and the fetishisation of same-sex relationships, The Beaches provide the reality of being romantically involved with someone at the wrong time and needing to ultimately look after yourself. Similarly, ‘Sorry For Your Loss’ uses this energy to preserve the protagonist’s self-worth by highlighting how their ex-partner will be missing out after the breakup; “please get well soon / If I left me, I’d be lovesick too.”

‘No Hard Feelings’ continues to convey a dichotomy between the serious and the fun. The journey from one track to the next encompasses a combination of emotional vulnerability and a self-awareness which is both grounded and confident. This is exhibited in ‘Dirty Laundry’, ‘I Wore You Better’ and ‘Fine, Let’s Get Married’, the tracks feel anecdotal in nature, using bold and provoking lyricism which are tried and tested components of The Beaches’ discography.

What is particularly compelling about The Beaches latest release is that it acts as a concluding remark to a coming-of-age movie. Standing alongside ‘Late Show’ (2017) and ‘Blame My Ex’ (2023), ‘No Hard Feelings’ portrays a growth to The Beaches, one where they know their placement as people, artists and a band within the world. Despite their dreamy and timeless instrumentation alongside alluring vocals, both ‘Lesbian Of The Year’ and ‘Jocelyn’ examine parasocial relationships between celebrity and fan. They explore expectations of being a gay icon and a role model to listeners, with the latter having the lyric: “What do you even see in me, Jocelyn? Why do you still look up to me, Jocelyn? You just got your PhD in politics / And I’m just phoning it in.”

‘No Hard Feelings’ concludes with high-energy pop banger ‘Last Girls At The Party’. Feeling more light-hearted than its predecessors, this concluding track effectively rounds off the album, helping to shake off the high emotion of the LP to remind listeners that no matter the love, loss or heartbreak, The Beaches will not be missing out on any of the action as they will always be the last girls at the party.