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Alana Springsteen ‘History of Breaking Up (Part One)’ EP Review
Country singer-songwriter Alana Springsteen has always written about and been inspired by love and relationships. History of Breaking Up (Part One), Springsteen’s second EP, is a rollercoaster of emotions that perfectly documents a young woman on her break-up journey. On social media, she told fans and followers that the project was full of, “Songs that have helped me process and understand the relationships, love and loss that I’ve experienced over the last few years.” Springsteen’s latest release documents mature songwriting and showcases the newly discovered wisdom she’s gained through her heartache.
The EP opens with the beachy tune “California” which acts as a homage to the west coast state. It’s followed by “Girlfriend,” a standout song on the EP where Springsteen admits she might not be the one. The lyrics are a gut-punch of hurtful realization as she sings, “When you’re with me, you ain’t with me / I feel her name on your lips when you kiss me, it kills me / You’re gonna end up with her in the end / Cause she’s your girl, I’m just your girlfriend.” Despite the sad lyricism, the song disguises itself with an uptempo, catchy instrumental and sizzling electric guitars.
Springsteen gets raw and vulnerable on track four, “God Must Be Mad At Me.” It’s stripped-down with an acoustic guitar, the slowest song out of the seven, and Springsteen gives a breathtaking vocal performance with despairing lyrics. In the chorus, she sings, “God must be mad at me / Cause I don’t know why you wouldn’t love me / You kiss me and the choir sings / Now I’ve seen heaven but it’s out of reach / And I prayed he’d bring you back to me / But God must be mad at me.” She parallels the title with make worship-like references in the lyrics which add more meaning to the already emotional lyrics.
“I Blame You” is a direct confrontation where Springsteen tells her love interest how her life has changed because of them. The song has a picturesque beginning where she sings about places she used to frequent such as Sandbridge Beach and Lookout Ledge. The song builds up for the chorus where Springsteen states, “I blame you for loving me baby / Me lost in your eyes / Stealing my time and all my weekends / Making me want you that’s why / I blame you / For driving me crazy / Always on my mind / Changing my whole life for the better / Making me want forever.” The lyrics are simple but perfectly capture how one’s life can change once in a distracting, yet beautiful relationship.
Ends with “Zero Trucks,” a perfect ending showing Springsteen’s growth after the breakup that has torn her heart for so long. Although “Zero Trucks” was a pre-release single and has almost one million streams on Spotify, it fits like the perfect last puzzle piece into the narrative constructed by the seven-song project. Written by Springsteen along with Walker Hayes and Joe Clemmons, the track is playful, doesn’t take itself too seriously, and shows that Springsteen is moving on and letting go from the past regardless of what her ex is doing with a new girl. In the second verse she exclaims, “I hope y’all have fun, my good time’s overdue / Naw baby I ain’t drunk / I’m sober and over you / I ain’t about to get all jealous / She can dance in your headlights.” It’s a refreshing ending.
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