In her debut album, Griff showcases her signature bedroom-pop sound, and whilst the music itself is stellar, the album fails to become the transportive experience you would hope for. From the first trill of the titular track to the echoing outro of “Where Did You Go”, the album battles against the constraints of Griff’s synth based, technologically made music. Although it is not the point that music has to be made with real instruments, the lack of them in Vertigo does mean that each song feels somewhat recycled from the one that came before (with the exception of the piano ballad “Astronaut”, which is most memorable because it simply sounds different).
The sounds that have defined the pop iconography of Griff’s music do not feel as fresh as they did on her first EP One Foot In Front Of The Other. Griff’s first EP also covered a huge amount of ground in just seven songs, something that the 14-song album does not accomplish with the same depth. Like the swirling symbol of vertigo, similar feelings come around again and again, meaning that by the time you’re nearing the end of the album, you can’t quite believe that it is still going. Like the feeling of vertigo, it is slightly dizzying.
Griff, in her introduction to the album, said it is “about vertigo as an emotion and the dizziness and upside down feeling of heartache.” Whilst this has certainly been achieved, the concept has inhibited the album and perhaps the process of creation; if each song is connected to a single emotion, there is not going to be a huge amount of difference between them. The best moments of the album occur when there is change, such as between “Astronaut” and “Anything” and also “Hole in My Pocket” and “Everlasting” because the range of Griff’s vocal talents and ability to straddle ballad and dance numbers with such dexterity is brilliant.
Whilst the album as a whole might not be perfect, each of the songs as isolated units are impeccably made. You can’t help but want to play them loudly and dance around. Griff’s work deigns to be seen live and having been touring for the past three years with huge names from Coldplay to Taylor Swift, she knows how to put on a show. Each song has the ability to please a crowd, and for a pop musician, that is a huge feat.
Lyrically the album is superb, expertly capturing what Griff is trying to express – even if it could have been captured in fewer songs. The song “Everlasting” stands out against the rest, as an exploration into the singer’s life growing up and wanting to please her elders but not become like them in the future – with “Astronaut”, it is one of the more emotional songs on the album and holds you in its grips. “Miss Me Too” is a pop banger for the ages that you cannot help but scream along to and reflects the relatable longing to be able to find yourself again after heartbreak.
With Vertigo, Griff has developed into a dazzling new voice in UK and world pop music, but she hasn’t created anything especially surprising or different from what she has done before. However, even if the album is not as exciting as one might hope, it is still incredibly easy to listen to – but if you aren’t dancing to it, it does fade slightly into the background.
6/10