Review Summary: Just stupid, catchy, adolescent, funky fun
Big Ideas kicks off with a statement of intent. Opener Cinderella is a stupidly catchy funk pop tune with vocal hooks following each other so fast you can hardly keep up (“me and the boys in the hotel lobby” followed by “Low tide, moons so bright” followed by “like Cinderella making babies on the companies dime”). When you hear it, you just know - this is gonna be fun.
Cinderella doesn’t stand alone. The album is filled with infectious, energetic, funky pop bangers. The instrumentation is excellent but what shines most is Remi’s voice. It’s powerful, soulful and distinct. If you want a sample, listen to the back half of ‘Alone in Miami’. As she sings about a hedonistic night out in Miami while feeling alone among friends (but “who cares?”), it’s hard not to be moved by the raw power of her voice.
Where some songs drive the energy forwards (e.g. ‘soup’ and ‘toro’), others pull it back (e.g. ‘motorcycle’ and ‘Cherries & Cream’). One of the biggest strengths of this album is how expertly Remi manages the energy here. After big moments, the energy gets brought down just enough for the next peak to feel optimally satisfying. As a result, Big Ideas is engaging and infectious, but it never gets tiring.
Thematically, this is a pop album. Most songs are about love - the defective kind -, getting ***ed up and having a good time. On ‘Toro’, Remi imagines herself a toreador, goading her partner sexually. 'Cherries & Cream' is about dating a cheater. “if she’s perfect, what are you here for?” On Frog Rock, Remi laments her ex moving on too easily: “I know it's evil to say: I wish you well, but I don't want you to be okay”. It's adolescent, it’s dramatic, but it’s fun. It helps that Remi doesn’t take herself too seriously.
Although Remi’s last album Juno was very enjoyable, it felt like she was still finding her sound - like she was trying on different styles to see what suits her best. Big Ideas is a big step forward. It has focus. There's still a variety of songs, but it feels coherent. And it all feels more like Remi somehow.
Overall, this album is just stupid fun. Do yourself a favor and at least listen to the first two songs. If that doesn’t move you, reconsider your life choices. Most songs on here are very strong, there are some slightly weaker moments, and the closer is a bit of a joke, but even these weaker moments work in context. This might just be the pop album of the year!
