Tiny Habits discover solace amongst doubt in debut album, ‘All for Something’
Indie trio Tiny Habits have continually proven themselves as a musical force to be reckoned with since the release of their debut EP, Tiny Things, last year. The band began their first worldwide tour back in March, performing their sure-to-be folk classics alongside a slew of new tracks.
Shortly after completing the North American leg, the group announced their highly anticipated debut album, All for Something, featuring many of the new songs they teased on tour. Tiny Habits make a big impact with All for Something, showing a significant evolution and further definition of their sound from Tiny Things. All for Something maintains the warmth and homeliness of their former projects while embracing new musical elements to diversify the album’s overall mood.
Alongside their traditional chamber and folk pop aesthetic, the band incorporates upbeat soft rock instrumentation throughout All for Something, giving the record a slight edge amongst an otherwise cozy track list. “I Don’t Have the Heart” marks the furthest sonic venture within the album; the track is enrapturing and self-reflective, establishing an excitable dynamic that opens the doors for Tiny Habits. While the exploration of genres interrupts the cohesiveness of the album at times, the new musical ideas are still welcomed and will only make listeners more excited for the trio continue to develop their sound.
Tiny Habits do continue to excel within the indie folk genre throughout All for Something, constantly tugging at heart-strings with their emotional performances and lyricism. The opening track “Circling” encapsulates the delicate spirit of the project, maintaining a gentle ambience while being unequivocal about the difficulties that come alongside self-doubt and the fleeting nature of relationships.
The album’s lyrics dive deep into themes of acceptance and growth throughout all aspects of life, whether that be self-healing, coping with loss, or knowing when it’s finally okay to move on. The trio write eloquently throughout the album, with a major highlight being the run of “Malleable,” “Broken,” and “Planting Flowers.” Each of these tracks features one member of the band as the forefront vocalist, commenting on the process of self-acceptance and detachment from broken bonds.
“Malleable” begins with minimalist string production that expresses the intense vulnerability of the track, enhancing the devastating lyricism and vocal performance of Cinya Khan. Khan sings “It’s just impractical / To be a fraction of myself for you / Thought it made me valuable / But this isn’t what I wanted” while accompanied by gorgeous harmonies. “Malleable” shows the raw emotional influence of defeat. Khan writes about attempting to find acceptance by letting oneself be shaped by someone else; however, her malleability only led her to rejection, both from the person she attempted to change for as well as within her own self.
Maya Rae sings the song “Broken,” which discusses the difficulties of denial within the process of loss. Tiny Habits ask, “Couldn’t you have left me feeling broken? / Wouldn’t that be easier than halfway between love and living lonely?” in the track, exploring a lingering sense of longing that comes with a healthy ending of a relationship.
The ruminative tone shifts with Judah Mayowa’s “Planting Flowers;” Mayowa writes “I know it'll take time, some time to get over you / But, as of right now / I'm gonna keep planting flowers.” While the process of recovery and acceptance comes with pain, it also brings beauty; the track embraces this reality with grace and happiness, maintaining a bright and warm ambience that feels like healing in musical form. “Planting Flowers” feels like tears gently rolling down your face or a warm hug from a loved one, serving as the perfect ending to this group of songs and a standout track within the entire album.
Two former singles, “Wishes” and “Mudroom,” also stand out as some of the strongest tracks within Tiny Habits’ discography. Both songs achieve pure folk serendipity, inducing a powerful, melancholic connection between listener and singer. “Wishes” is divided into three separate sections where Khan, Rae, and Mayowa take the lead vocals and confess their own wishes about their identities, expressing sheer vulnerability as they reveal their greatest insecurities. Tiny Habits are an open book in “Wishes,” a powerful testament to their honesty and fervor as songwriters.
“Mudroom” invokes elegant nostalgia and lonesomeness within its grand yet rustic instrumentation and production. The lyrics are a poetic paragon, and the vocal performance harbors the most mesmerizing harmonies that make listeners lose themselves in the same mudroom that Tiny Habits describe.
“Mudroom” seems to symbolize a form of purgatory in the process of healing; the group initially sings how “You’re what I need, I think that scares me / So I’m waiting in the mudroom,” later finally feeling comfortable enough to “Grab my coat and take off my shoes / Go inside and leave the mudroom.” During the process of acceptance, it can be difficult to take the next steps even when one knows it's the right decision; “Mudroom” portrays this struggle poignantly and cunningly in its production, writing, and delivery.
All for Something wonderfully portrays the dichotomy of acceptance and denial and the way these factors impose themselves within our lives, but it appears to all come together in a beautiful release on the other side. In the alternative version of “Small Enough,” Tiny Habits sing “You are small enough in my memory / For me to let go of what you meant to me / There has come a day I never thought I’d see / Where you are small enough for me to set it free.” Sometimes people intentionally try to heal, but sometimes people heal without even truly realizing it.
This process is difficult and messy yet simultaneously graceful and cathartic; Tiny Habits wistfully capture all of these feelings within All for Something, a promising debut album from one of the rising names within the folk scene.