Meg Elsier: "Scrapped" Review

]Meg Elsier: sportscar [scrapped]

Meg Elsier is a rising indie-pop star from Nashville, Tennessee. Her clear, light vocals often contrast with the deeper rock elements of her music. She has a talent for combining her poetic lyrics with rock instrumentals to create truly powerful and memorable pieces. Throughout sportscar [scrapped], she references times in her life that reflect how strange it is to grow up. Small moments like sitting in the back of the car versus sitting in the front, then going on to drive the car. The car follows her through her life, acting as a symbol of life continuing on despite it all. Elsier’s vocals carry the listener throughout her experiences, drawing them into her life as well. The song overall is fast, reflecting both the title and the theme Elsier is aiming to highlight.

 She goes on to say, "I was really identifying with my beat-up car my mother gave me. It was this thing handed to me that I treated like shit… But that kinda was my life at the time. Something that was shiny and fast, a veneer; but if you checked under the hood, it was burning out. The oil was dark, and the engine was smoking. I would dye my hair (new paint job), get dolled up (took her to the car wash), and perform so well socially when I went out (that V8 engine purring, baby), but that was all it was. I had a coming-to moment like, ‘This isn’t sustainable and I’m about to crash out.'”

“Sportscar” is an addition to Elsier’s album, spittake; she will be releasing the deluxe LP on July 25, 2025. Many of the songs from spittake are a slow, heavy rock undertones. Reminiscent of Julie Doiron. She has a heavy focus on the bass and drums, and her poetry makes each song more impactful than the last. During the softer songs, Meg Elsier’s voice becomes an instrument, giving a shoegaze foil to the heavy opening to the LP. Given that, sportscar [“scraped” /scrapped] adds a new dynamic in the album, giving her poetry a more fast-paced environment to thrive in. Her emotions truly shine throughout the album, and sportscar builds more anticipation to see what Meg Elsier has in store for her audience.

Listen to sportscar [scrapped] here

Pre-save spittake deluxe, out July 25,  here

Written by Joycelyn McClurken