I was first introduced to SPELLLING, the Bay Area experimental pop wizardress, Chrystia Cabral, with the album SPELLLING & the Mystery School—a compilation album of various tracks throughout her career, beginning from 2017 onward. At times, it felt very Bjork-inspired, and other more neo-soul-inspired. For me, it was a very mixed bag. Parts I loved, and parts I could go either way.
I feel quite similar with this latest album, Portrait of My Heart, which sees SPELLING shifting to a more indie grunge vibe. Let me begin by saying the opening track title track is a certified, euphoric banger that immediately gripped me with its lush orchestration—motorik drums, washed-out underwater guitar works, ballad-like strings and SPELLLING’s otherworldly, gargantuan vocal feel, crooning “I don’t belong heeeeerrrre.” It’s highly cinematic and gets pretty heavy, guiding whatever task you are doing at the moment in time. I was on a busy bus during a squall. Unfortunately, the album never really lives up to the majesty of the opener.
“Keep It Alive” tries to continue this cinematic vibe, but it turns into a cookie-cutter ’90s grunge pop-era track with the chorus. Still, the orchestral bridge gives the song wings. Then we have “Alibi,” which is more of a mid-2000s stadium rock track with its generic guitar palm mutes and crashy drums. It reminds me of Paramore, but with fewer teeth.
Later on, “Mount Analogue” brings a new flavour with some interesting synth production work and backing vocals courtesy of Toro y Moi, as SPELLLING does a kind of Alicia Keys vocal soar. “Satisfaction” enters a heavier realm with more palm-muting and a hammer-on-metal guitar riff that feels a bit out of place. To add to the weirdness, the album ends with a cover. And not just any cover, but My Bloody Valentine’s “Sometimes.” I had to do a double-take once I heard it, but the feedback-y guitar chords that lumber on are unmistakable. And SPELLING brings her own vibe to the track with some more straightforward vocals than the original. Not sure, this was needed, but it’s a cool cover nonetheless.
SPELLLING is clearly influenced by a melting pot of genres, and because of this, Portrait of My Heart seems like more of an homage to all those genres rather than a cohesive album, making it a confusing listen.
