When Gracie Abrams released ‘Daughter From Hell’ earlier this year, it signalled the further development of an artist increasingly confident in her songwriting. Yet despite the provocative title and the guitar-driven title track, the album largely embraced the understated, intimate production of longtime collaborator Aaron Dessner. While tracks such as ‘Look at My Life’ also hinted at a willingness to explore a more adventurous soundscape, the album was more about lyrical evolution than radical sonic revolution.

On new single ‘Here You Come, There You Go’, taken from the forthcoming deluxe version of ‘Daughter From Hell’, Abrams continues to explore emotionally complex relationships, reflected in her penchant for contrasting titles. Musically, the track builds on the earlier promise of a more adventurous sound.

From the outset, a prominent, brooding industrial bassline morphs into a steady synth beat, textured guitar layers and crashing electronic drum flourishes. Jim-E Stack’s production fuels an infectious blend of pop and indie motifs which contrast beautifully with Abrams’ trademark delicate vocals. 

Lyrically, this is a song built on familiar ground, using the metaphor of a “double-knotted rope” to describe an unstable relationship trapped in the exhausting cycle of a lover returning and then leaving again. While Abrams has explored romantic uncertainty and emotional dependence before, the compelling contrast between the narrator’s poetic vulnerability and the confidence of the arrangement elevates the track.  

With its immediate, catchy chorus and Abrams’ increasingly confident vocal delivery, ‘Here You Come, There You Go’ is the strongest song yet from the ‘Daughter From Hell’ era. It feels like a statement: a step away from the understated indie-folk soundscape associated with Phoebe Bridgers and towards the lyrically sophisticated pop territory associated with Taylor Swift, while remaining unmistakably Gracie Abrams.

The single is the more radical evolution Abrams teased us with earlier this year. While Dessner has helped shape her musical identity, this collaboration with Stack and songwriter Amy Allen, suggests that exploring new creative partnerships could bring freshness and spontaneity to Abrams’ music without sacrificing who she is.

Andrew Butcher

@framingtheechoes / @arrondor

Image: ‘Daughter From Hell’ (Deluxe) Official Album Cover