REVIEW: Hailey Picardi Fights Through Heartbreak and Finds Emotional Freedom On Her Debut EP ‘scars to prove it’
REVIEW
REVIEW
☆ BY SULLIVAN JORDAN ☆
HAILEY PICARDI HAS CAPTURED THE HEARTS OF EAGER LISTENERS with her tender vocals, expressive storytelling and emotional sound. scars to prove it, her debut EP after an impressive run of dynamic and passionate singles, proves that Picardi is only getting started. With cinematic production and Picardi’s effortlessly delicate vocals and innate storytelling abilities, scars to prove it finds Picardi navigating an ocean of highs and lows. As she works through a deeply personal and shattering, yet ultimately freeing, romantic relationship, she ruminates on what love means to her and comes face to face with her inner demons, emerging stronger and more confident.
Picardi’s journey is breathtaking and all-consuming as she explores what she wants out of a romantic relationship. A pulsing and hypnotic instrumental production opens the EP on “chaotic” as Picardi fears that no matter how badly she craves a healthy relationship, it won’t be enough for her: “I was loved and I knew it/I’ve got scars here to prove it/I’m afraid the line is blurred/Between warmth and a burn/Oh I throw in my heart like a wish in a well,/I say I want healthy, I want peace for myself/But the ones that I love the most, put me through hell.” The steady rhythm of earthy drums and the rustic strum of a guitar keep the cinematic production grounded and tease the acoustic sound that Picardi highlights in later tracks.
Picardi fights between her contradicting heart and mind while she explores her vulnerability and confronts her fears. She achieves an emotional intensity akin to the connection built through a toxic and overwhelming relationship by playing with contrast, both sonically and lyrically. “black and white” sees Picardi admit to her fears as a swell of layered instrumentals and resonant production sweep into gentle and emotionally driven vocals: “Cause I’m either black or white/I’m freezing or on fire/Either I need you or I’m fine/I’m either black or white/That’s why I'm terrified/Cause when I’m in love it takes over my life.”
“double edged sword” finds Picardi fighting between her heart and mind as she is trapped in a cycle of returning to someone who isn’t good for her: “but when you tell me you love me I feel the words numbing the gashes from your stabs/and when I feel your regret oh I almost forget the blood dripping down my back.” A tender string instrumental palette combines with Picardi’s whimsical vocals, lending the track a fantastical aura that echoes the power an emotional and traumatic connection still has over her. Despite knowing that she must escape, Picardi fears not being able to be herself again: “you are a double edged sword/you’re the poison, the cure/you’re the enemy and the ally in this war/I keep wanting more ‘cause/I’m not even sure that I know who I am without you anymore.”
“hide and seek” shares a similar theme, while introducing gentle acoustic instrumentals, accompanied by Picardi’s emotive, and now signature, vocals. Through the wave-like instrumental motion, she reflects on not being able to escape the memories and emotional impact of a previous relationship: “I could build a boat sail off into the sea/I could buy a home in a foreign country/but you’d always find a way to get to me/when you and I are playing hide and seek.” Picardi emphasizes her feelings towards a previous relationship on “tongue tied” as she reflects on feeling so connected to someone that they can read each other's minds and emotions: “But we don’t need to keep trading phrases/We’re fluent in an unspoken language.” An intense production reflects the deep connection they share and the emotions that circle between them.
The EP shifts gears on “car crash” as Picardi begins to find distance. Her point of view changes as the track acts as a spiraling narrative of a distraught protagonist who is forced to witness an outcome Picardi is far too familiar with: “And I get it, you can’t see the warning signs/Wanna believe there’s good in everyone/It’s a curse that reflects mine/And I get it, you’re a deer in the headlights/You’d try to heal the one that’s broken at the cost of your own life.” Picardi’s gentle vocals grow stronger as she sings to her past self and attacks her own emotional tendencies in an attempt to embrace a new beginning.
“teach you to love me” sees Picardi work through her initial heartbreak and desire for love. She embraces the fact that she cannot control or change everything: “and I can’t force fate/when it don’t stand on its own.” Picardi finds the freedom to let go of a relationship that did not align with her emotional desires, and in doing so, she embraces her feelings and who she is. scars to prove it not only represents a cathartic release of emotional tension, but sees Picardi paving her own path towards confidence and knowing what she wants. Instead of viewing her feelings as a weakness, she reclaims their power.
