The Art of Shattering, the debut album by Atlanta pop-rock band glimmers, dropped today. This has been one of my most anticipated full-length albums of the year. For years, @glimmers (Maggie Schneider and Alex Downtain) have been crafting some of the most infectious pop-rock songs around. Now, with their first full-length album, they’re showing the full force of their sound when it unites into one cohesive story.
I want to speak to the talent I have come to admire in glimmers. Recently, I had a chance to interview them on the Never A Phase Q&A, where we described their sound as rom-com pop-rock. Since that interview, I haven’t been able to shake how accurate that term is. In terms of songwriting and style, glimmers has the ability to craft anthemic, catchy, and heartfelt songs that feel like coming of age. Their songs bring me back to days of late-adolescence where you discover the pain of heartbreak and betrayal. However, these songs are not just cry-in-your-room sob-fests, but rather a defiant middle finger to failed friendships and toxic relationships. These are the kinds of songs you sing along with while driving with your windows down and deciding to keep your head held high. “Back to Hell”, one of the previously released singles, shines the brightest on the new album. There’s a confidence and joy that can be heard as Maggie delivers a song to say goodbye to fake friends who are no longer worth your energy. For many of us who are now in the “elder” phase of our emo journey, an early step in healing was knowing that some people weren’t going to change no matter how hard we tried. “Back to Hell” gives the listener permission to watch them ride off into the sunset.
Maggie’s vocal talents are on display throughout the album, as well. I’ve long considered Maggie Schneider one of the most underrated voices in the scene. With a background in musical theater, she brings real vocal power to the mix. “Dancing Through The Flames” probably soars the highest, but I’d listen to Maggie sing the phone book at this point.
Because the album is a mixture of previously released singles and new tracks, we get a chance to see the evolution of Alex Downtain as a producer and guitarist. The album’s oldest song, “Jaded”, feels downright raw when compared to the sonic depth of the opening track “Emotional Whiplash” (sidebar: do I catch a Stranger Things influence in this song?) Alex gets his chance to shine on this track too, dropping a blazing 80s-style guitar solo to drive the song home.
The album also features the song “Jaded,” which we discussed at length during our interview (Listen here). A song written about the pain that comes from constant comparisons, specifically felt by women in the emo/punk scene. Ending The Art of Shattering with this track is an a bold move, because the previous eight tracks are antithetical to the insecurities found in “Jaded”. Through this album it’s clear glimmers can stand on their own, and do not need to be boxed in by their predecessors. The album ends reflecting on where glimmers has been, and then restarts with breaking new ground. It creates a loop of self-discovery told in irresistible pop-rock.
The Art of Shattering in many ways feels like growing up (I guess?) and is an amazing journey through the formative years of glimmers as a band, culminating in this moment where that cements their place in the scene.
Stand Out Tracks: Back to Hell, Emotional Whiplash, Dancing Through the Flames, Growing Up (I Guess)
Don’t Sleep On: Jaded [Acoustic] (feat. Tay Jardine)
