Since its inception over a decade ago, IAN SWEET has gone through a complete evolution. With its debut album ‘Shapeshifter’ being released in 2016 and its most recent ‘Shiverstruck’, the one constant has been lead Jilian Medford. While her project originally included other band members, she currently releases solo work; and after all this change, it’s no surprise that Medford finds herself in a place of needing to reconnect with her musical identity, and that’s exactly what ‘Shiverstruck’ accomplishes.
Opening with ‘987’, Medford trades the distorted guitars of ‘Shapeshifter’ for soft plucking and a slow build. She wastes no time getting into how she feels, describing herself as “the girl in the wreckage”. She gives herself ten seconds until inevitable doom, counting down “Nine, eight, seven”. It perfectly starts the album and sets the theme of courageous introspection.
The album’s thesis is perfectly encapsulated in the eponymous fourth track. ‘Jilian’ is all about her difficult time living in New York, stuck in the “big city blues”. Incredibly self-confrontational, Medford repeatedly refers to herself as a “sad singer, such an idiot”, referring to the “indie sad girl” persona she had taken on in much of her previous work. While she’s not denying that she’s a girl occasionally plagued by sadness, a fact she again highlights in ‘Deadweight’, you get the sense that she’s feeling frustrated with her self-imposed melancholy singing, “Blame the world for your blues / It’s you, it’s you, it’s you”.
The most sonically upbeat song on the album, and the one which most resembles her previous work, is ‘Hired Gun’. Medford fantasizes about faking her death to avoid seeing her ex around town, perfectly describing the fear of an awkward conversation where you’re told: “You look well, you look pretty”. Looking back on the relationship, she sees herself as being used as a means to an end, as simply a 'Hired Gun'.
The penultimate song, ‘Wild Heart’, transitions the focus from her personal life to the professional. Medford has proven her resilience in the music industry, and ‘Wild Heart’ is her way of letting us know that no disappointments can stop her. In fact, she claims, “I don’t even cry anymore / You’re not worth crying for”. She’s no stranger to setbacks, but she’s finally able to decide that regardless of how her music is received, she’s going to continue because she loves it.
Rounding out the album, ‘Speed Demon’ closes with the same slow guitar-backed exposition as the record started with. It ties the entire spirit of the project together, all the growth and change in one song. Medford asks the listener and perhaps herself, “What do you believe in?”.
It’s clear to see that ‘Shiverstruck’ is Medford’s way of reclaiming and redefining her image. It’s the result of creating something with the very best from each previous record and being entirely fearless. While in IAN SWEET’s other albums like ‘Crush Crusher’ or ‘Sucker,’ much of the emphasis is on production and instrumentation, ‘Shiverstruck’ highlights Medford’s lyrical talents and uncanny ability to say exactly what’s on her mind.