REVIEW: Melanie Herrera Finds Acceptance on Debut Album ‘A Fearful and Wondrous Thing’
WRITTEN BY OSCAR ORTEGA
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Melanie Herrera’s debut album, A Fearful and Wondrous Thing, comes at a point of immense arrival. “I’m a late bloomer who spent years believing I wasn’t someone who could accomplish great things,” Herrera said in a press release. “These songs came after I was free of that story.”
After spending years in Los Angeles as an actress, Herrera returned to the East Coast at the mercy of her own anxieties. They raised all too familiar questions that infected her mind with a pervasive self-doubt: What if I’m not good enough? Am I deserving of success? How do I feel successful when everyone is already ahead? This existentialism is the crux of her debut’s foundation. Herrera’s cinematic songwriting and pop sensibilities offer a jovial yet meditative reflection on the state of being.
With the advent of social media and the breakout success anyone can have online, it’s difficult not to compare yourself to the thousands of people who are seemingly at a much better place than you. After the COVID-19 lockdowns forced everyone inside, Herrera took a moment to look at where she is and figure out where she wants to be. Realizing that she could be like the young online sensations she saw on her feed, Herrera began uploading content. It wasn’t until the launch of her “Nepo Baby Vocal Warm-Up” series that she found herself amidst a grand stage, finally able to cultivate the artistic identity she’d been searching for.
The storybook narrative of A Fearful and Wondrous Thing reflects Herrera’s initial period of doubt and dejection. After all, the passage of time is a constant spectre that lurks even in the brightest of places. Peel back the orchestral sweeps on opener “There Was Me” and “Whatever’s Left,” and you’ll find pensive ruminations on the past and the future. The latter track is framed through a child’s eyes as they reel with the emotional fallout from their parent’s divorce. “It’s just one of those things that happens/Because the world is broken,” she languidly sings, her voice taking in the pain before releasing it all through one powerful belt. She reaches similar heights on “You’re Doing Great.” The track builds towards an emotional climax where a valley of strings, idiosyncratic pianos, sparse guitars, and reverberating electronics accompany Herrera as she reflects on her age. “You’re 21/What do you know about anything?/Maybe I’m just a bitter 32/Mad that I’m not you.”
These moments of intense personal reflection aren't without their counterparts. The happier-sounding moments on the record appear with the strength of a warm summer’s day. A groovy bassline introduces us to “Cool Girl’s Party,” where a simple drum kit makes way for Herrera to overtake with an infectious confidence. “Imposter” is a spring pop anthem laced with plucky synths and oscillating electronics that permanently keep the spirit up. “Call Me Baby”’s synthpop-inspired instrumental reminds you that even when emotions are high, there’s power in simply letting go.
A state of acceptance permeates throughout A Fearful and Wondrous Thing, the title and track listing even suggesting a greater narrative beneath its sheen of self-doubt and insecurity. Melanie Herrera moves beyond the limit she once placed on herself. “I felt like I was a person who couldn’t go after things and achieve them, and that was the identity that I’d given myself,” she says in an interview. “It’s not like I’m asking/The world to stop turning,” she pleads on “Shouldn’t The Flowers Stop Growing.” Sweeps of orchestral strings capture Herrera’s internal battle with immense color. It takes a lot of courage to keep going, and A Fearful and Wondrous Thing proves that Herrera is walking through this new chapter with her chin up high.