Pop/Review Sophia Stephens - Love & Grief

Sophia Stephens has been writing songs since she could first figure out how to use a pencil. Over her eighteen years of life, she has written around 500 completed songs that she plays with her guitar. Inspired by both modern-day artists such as Florence and the Machine, Lorde, Hozier, and Adele, she also draws inspiration from 70s rock to create lasting melodies.

“Love & Grief,” Sophia Stephens's album, is a profoundly introspective journey that captures the complex emotional interplay that characterizes life's most meaningful moments. The overall concept of the album examines how love and grief are shaped and entwined throughout many stages of life. Sequentially listening to the album is similar to flipping through the pages of a lyrical journal, with each tune adding to a greater narrative of resiliency and self-discovery.

Sophia wrote all of the songs' words and melodies, and her writing is honest and unvarnished, expressing both strength and tenderness. The soundtrack has an amazing sense of unity, which is a credit to the talented production team that turned Sophia's idea into a sumptuous atmosphere. Layered instrumentation enhances each track, and acoustic components blend in well with contemporary production to let the melodies develop naturally. Sophia's expressive voice, which gracefully and elegantly bears the weight of the album's subjects, is beautifully framed by the meticulous attention to acoustics.

“Love & Grief” explores acceptance and healing in addition to sadness and joy. The songs explore difficult emotions without offering solutions, letting listeners sit with their emotions and think. The songs highlight many aspects of the human experience, ranging from eerie ballads to more upbeat choruses. By the conclusion of the record, listeners have gained comprehension and catharsis. “Love & Grief” is an album to listen to again for solace and reflection, and Sophia Stephens has created a poignant tribute to life's contradictions.