Stunning finger picking guitar blesses your ears as you are introduced to If You Asked For A Picture by Blondshell. ‘Thumbtack’ explores the theme of letting someone treat you horribly because at least they will treat you at all, to reference Phoebe Bridgers. This song is so easy to listen to as the melodies and guitar work is so pretty despite the devastating theme.

A more prominent theme which I felt was recognised throughout the album was the act of having to raise your significant other and sacrificing your own needs to make sure that they are doing okay. ‘Event Of A Fire’ begins with a pacing guitar then blasts you into this powerful song which is replicable of when a fire begins to crackle then blossoms into this flame of rage. I think the lyric “What if I’m burnt out ‘cause you didn’t grow up” sums up the album perfectly. In ‘23’s a Baby’ the pure hopelessness in Blondshell’s voice is just a knock to the ground as on a surface level it seems like in the chorus lyrics “If 23’s a baby, why do you have a baby” sounds like she is asking the person why they have a child if they are a child themselves but if you delve deeper it’s almost asking them if they don’t feel ready to have a committed relationship why are they in one.

The objectification of women is noted in ‘T&A’ and I like that Blondshell has done this because often times, women are treated based on how they look and what attention they receive is based on how males perceive them.

‘Model Rockets’ closes out the album as the curtain falls with some comforting slide guitar. It’s like looking out into a theatre full of people after you have done the performance of your life and trying to find the people most important to you and realising they didn’t show up for you. That feeling is how this song feels. As the guitar fades you into the bridge and then into the outro, you realise how the credits are rolling now, people are beginning to leave and you realise that you didn’t take a bow and now your time is up, the attention has moved on.

Blondshell: If You Asked For A Picture – Out 2 May 2025 (Partisan Records)

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0agRfByknA