Spine-chilling intrigue.
Frances Chang’s Been Thinking Bout Confession is eerie, stripped back and entirely singular. Chang’s soft and delicate vocals are regularly weaponized in a spooky, almost campfire-story-esque manner. Her previous two albums, 2022’s Support Your Local Nihilist and 2024’s Psychedelic Anxiety, operate in almost entirely different realms than her newest release. Where they have booming choruses and intense instrumentation, Been Thinking Bout Confession consists almost solely of Chang’s vocals, a lone piano and lyrics written only by Chang herself.
The opening track, “I Can Feel The Waves,” is a slow, six-minute, nightmare-inducing lullaby. The minimal lyrics, depending on how one chooses to interpret them, can border on psychotic, evoking all of the crazy feelings that come with reminiscing about the uncertainties of a sordid past relationship. Elongated pronunciation, uncanny piano and tinny percussion only add to the haunted feelings portrayed, creating an all-encompassing experience that pulls you into the album’s spectral world. This same feeling is carried through the second track, “Bad Zen.” Chang layers her vocals in a slightly off-balance manner that adds to the building sense of uneasiness that she clearly aims to achieve with this latest release.
Chang spices things up with “Marry,” which is just over five minutes of mostly melodic piano and rhythmic percussion. Nearly four minutes into the song, an over-the-phone conversation between two friends plays until the song gives out. As the two complain about a man and make plans to accompany one another as one takes a Plan-B pill, more of the album’s personality comes to fruition. It sits as a nice interlude between the otherwise haunting lyrics and vocals explored throughout the rest of the album. The colloquial verbiage and casual tones used by both parties make the song feel lived in and add much-needed warmth to the whole project. The seventh track, “Job’s Tears,” later fulfills any wishes one may have for a soft instrumental track, with beautiful piano and strings laid over soft humming.
Immediately following “Marry” comes “No Avatar,” which reintroduces the off-kilter tone that defines the album. While it only plays for barely over two minutes, the song has a lot to say. The lyrics read in a similar tone to a Gwendolyn Brooks poem, with minimal filler words that tell the story of a sudden realization of one’s own lack of identity.
“Midnight In The Garden” plays to a jazzier audience with swooping vocals and a warm tone. While the song starts off stylistically rather different than its predecessors, it still morphs into a characteristic entry in Been Thinking Bout Confession. Little bits of playfulness peppered throughout the tune steer it away from feeling overly drawn out, even if it only narrowly escapes such a fate.
Been Thinking Bout Confession cannot be defined by any one description. It has aspects of terror, disappointment, comfort and malaise all at once. Serving as a clear turning point in Chang’s musical journey, Been Thinking Bout Confession can undoubtedly leave listeners confused, if not wanting more. The album bounces between complicated poetry and blatantly obvious lyrics. While the vocals never hold much strength, the album manages to evade feeling as though it’s lacking depth. Despite its soft tone, the album is by no means an easy listen. Though it may not be constantly particularly enjoyable to listen to, it’s incredibly thought-provoking and by no means in need of originality.
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