Lizzy McAlpine released an album called “Angel” on September 18th, 2026. This is her fourth album released since 2020. In this article, we are going to take a deep dive into each song on the album.
Elizabeth Catherine McAlpine is a singer-songwriter who mostly produces alternative/indie music and has released four main studio albums. She was nominated for “Best Arrangement, Instruments and Vocals” at the 65th Grammys in 2023.
The songs on Angel are:
“The light in the painting”
“Anybody’s fool”
“A car wash and a new pair of pants”
“I have a friend”
“The moon”
“Ugly things”
“Soldier of the road (feat. Fleet Foxes)”
“Peach”
“Over country”
“Two elevens”
“Our strange ways”
“Mason’s song”
“The crowd”
“Angel”
Singles
This album was officially released on September 18th, 2026. Two songs on the album were released as singles before the album came out.
One of those songs is ‘The light in the painting,’ which has gained a lot of attention on social media because of its lyrics and how relatable they are.
The other song that was released as a single is ‘Ugly things,‘ which hasn’t gotten as much attention as ‘The light in the painting.‘
Angel
‘The light in the painting’ is the first song on the album and is about the beginning of a new connection and how overwhelming it can be. The lyrics “You are the light in the painting” represent being instantly attracted to a specific person and how they stand out compared to the rest of the world.
‘Anybody’s fool’ is a song that consists of a beautiful piano, which is heard throughout the album. This song has a more monotone feel compared to the first song on the album. ‘Anybody’s fool’ represents the feeling of relief after leaving an unhealthy relationship but still having that pull of wanting to go back.
‘A car wash and a new pair of pants’ is the third song on this album that sounds a bit more upbeat compared to ‘Anybody’s fool’. This song is about an ex-partner who only wanted to be with her for the fame.
‘I have a friend’ goes back to the monotone feeling of the album, but the lyrics contradict that. “I have a friend, I have a lover; I watch him tune up his strings; there is no song without his love to make it sing.” This is a beautiful way to imply that a significant other can be a friend, but also a lover.
‘The moon’ is the fifth song, which is the most upbeat song on the album. This song consists of a nice guitar part, with parts of the bass shining. The chords of this song bring it all together and mix well. The whole concept of this song is about the heavy pull of a toxic relationship and how she is constantly orbiting around a controlling partner, when all she wants is to be independent.
‘Ugly things’ is one of the other songs that originally came out as a single. This begins with an acoustic guitar in the beginning, with sprinkles of piano throughout the song. ‘Ugly things’ is about moving on from an ex-lover and trying to fathom that the person who was once your lover is now a stranger.
‘Soldier of the road (feat. Fleet Foxes’ is the seventh song on the album that features Fleet Foxes. The song begins with the guitar entrance, and later on both of the artists are heard singing together, and the blend of their voices complements each other very well. The song is relatable to both of these artists and is about the exhaustion and all the other things that come with pursuing a life in music while being on tour.
‘Peach’ begins with the piano at the beginning and tapping on the drums. The peach, which is frequently referenced in the song, has symbolism. That symbolism is that she stays at home while her significant other is away from the house, and she stays in the kitchen, cutting peaches.
‘Over country’ is the ninth song on the album, which begins with a guitar riff at the beginning of it. The song covers how it feels to be loved by someone who is miles and miles away.
‘Two elevens’ is about being in love once, but that love is now gone. “There was love once; there was fire; we had something; that’s all that matters.” It also covers a bit of reminiscing about the relationship and the love that was once there.
‘Our strange ways’ is the eleventh song on the album and begins with a guitar that you hear throughout the whole song. This song goes back to that breakup part of the album. “A world without you is not one I want to live in. It is not one I want to know. I want to hold. It is so sad and cold.” This explores the forgiveness and personal growth after the end of a relationship with an ex-partner.
‘Mason’s song’ is dedicated to her friend Mason Stoops. The song is a tribute to Stoops and their friendship in a platonic way. Stoops has worked with McAlpine as a Musician and producer for her music.
‘The crowd’ begins with a strong piano entrance and is a beautiful, emotional ballad about grief, about someone who she lost in the past. “Everything I do, I do so I can make you proud. Everything I do, I make it big so you can hear the crowd.”
The last and final song on this album is ‘Angel.’ This is the closing song of the album, which covers self-acceptance and emotional growth after a journey of grief. “Angel in a brilliant light. Watching me” is a lyric from the song that explains that there is someone up in heaven watching over her.
All in all, this album mostly covers the complex feelings of new relationships, with lingering grief, self-discovery, and realizing self-worth.
Anexahi Estrada
My name is Anex Estrada and I'm the managing editor for 6th period! I like to write Arts & Entertainment, Student Life, and for The Branch. I've been in journalism for 2 years and did photography for 1 year.
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