Leith Ross provides listeners with lessons 'To Learn' in their debut album
Leith Ross has been unanimously recognized online as one of the best up-and-coming indie-folk musicians in the past few years. Mingling together gorgeous melodies, hard-hitting lyricism, and sentimental vocals, Leith Ross’ songs seem as if they’re something ripped straight out of a dream or a fairy-tale. While they have been captivating listeners since late 2020 with their debut EP, Motherwell, Ross finally released their debut album, To Learn, on May 19th, 2023.
To Learn is an beautiful and articulately crafted collection of music from Leith Ross. Apart from tracks “Interlude” and “5am”, the album is nearly entirely self-written. Nevertheless, the writing in To Learn is pure poetry at its finest and nothing short of stunning. Ross writes about their experiences eloquently and sentimentally throughout their debut album; To Learn discusses the best and the worst parts of life without any filter.
While every track is absolutely awe-striking and/or gut-wrenching, listeners should be wary of potentially sensitive and triggering content throughout To Learn. Leith Ross writes about everything from the giddy and bubbly experiences of a blossoming relationship with the track “(You) On My Arm” to the dark realities of abuse and manipulation in the song, “Guts.” To Learn is an emotional rollercoaster that leaves the listener wanting to ride it again and again.
The overall sound of To Learn is just as charming and heartfelt as its lyricism. The production is elegant and successfully does its part in enhancing the emotional experience of every single track. Ross’ gentle guitar takes lead in many of the songs while accompanied by a variety of subtle hums, synths, and percussion instruments.
However, a few of the tracks that are more sonically upbeat or emotionally impactful also feature the percussion as a more prominent element of the song, and a few of the more mellow songs have synths leading the track. All of the various production styles feel incredibly cohesive and impactful in their own right; every pluck, tap, and murmur feels hand-crafted and intentional, all coming together to make To Learn one big beautiful picture.
Leith Ross’ vocal performance throughout the album ties all of To Learn together with a pretty little bow on top. They have a manner of story-telling that’s enticing and engaging; every single syllable that Ross sings conveys such a powerful emotional response. Their vocals are soft, smooth, and airy, working together to provide the signature enchanting quality that Leith Ross manages to convey in their music.
Many of Leith Ross’ tracks on To Learn were previously teased on their social media throughout the past few years, including the debut single, “We’ll Never Have Sex.” The single’s initial teaser blew up back in late 2021, collecting over 8 million views and 1 million likes. The production on this track is “simple and sweetness,” just as Ross describes the relationship between two lovers in the song; consisting of primarily guitar, synths, and airy vocals, Ross sings about endearment that transcends the fears of being based solely on physical attraction and intimacy.
On the contrary, Ross details a connection that slowly faded from a beautiful love to a relationship held together by only the thinnest of strings in the song “To Me.” The song starts with a velvety guitar instrumental alongside Ross’ delicate vocals. In the chorus of “To Me,” the singer pleads that “I know that you know what I mean / So at what point of you knowing, are you controlling me? / If I’d do anything for you, that means / You could do anything to me;” while they know their romance is in shambles and the connection itself is near entirely lost, they cannot help but hold on to what was once had in the past. '“To Me” poignantly and beautifully portrays the pain and agony that come alongside denial and separation.
Ross concludes the album with the somewhat upbeat yet nostalgically melancholic “Too Much Time In My House Alone.” Playful guitar strumming and drum tapping lead the production of this song, ending To Learn on a rather optimistic note. While at first Ross’ vocals seem to be a bit more prominent, they seem to settle more into the background at the end of the song as Ross expresses their overthinking; they sing that “I’ve been waiting for an infraction / Something to make me feel better / About being better than I once had been.”
While Ross knows at the very least that they have come a long on their journey of healing from their trauma and pain, it remains difficult for them to acknowledge that any progress has been made whatsoever. However, as the chipper instrumental overtakes Ross’ contemplative lyricism, the track and the album as a whole manages to come to a peaceful albeit bittersweet conclusion.
To Learn manages to stand out amongst the strong selection of indie-folk records released this year. Leith Ross manages to say the words that many people cannot or are too afraid to say in their debut album. Ross sings that “everything ends / every song and every meal,” calling it both the “saddest” and the “sweetest thing I’ll ever hear” in the appropriately titled “Everything Ends.” With To Learn, Ross has created a record that listeners never really want to end; simultaneously, it's a comforting reality that it can be played over and over again.
To keep up with Leith Ross about upcoming music, follow them on Instagram @Leith_Ross
(Cover photo by Adam Kelly)