Olivia O'Brien delivers a poignant new EP in "Love & limerence," a haze of emotion that encapsulates love's intricacies. With five songs overflowing with raw feelings and evolution of sound, O'Brien welcomes fans into the emotional landscape of her universe: a place of brief relationships, harsh truths, and hard-earned self-confidence.
"Love & Limerence" lead singles Blip and Glimpse of Me paved the way for this high-energy exploration of love and loss. A collaboration with producer Day Wave, Blip captures the hurt of being a flash in the pan of someone else's life, even though they burned brightly in yours. O'Brien's fragile but deeply expressive vocals float over a dreamlike production that evokes raw heartbreak at its most crystalline. "I was a minute; you were a lifetime. A blip in your timeline."
In comparison, a glimpse of me is an energizing anthem of self-growth and gaining back strength. Channeling the fortitude of artists like Kacey Musgraves and Miley Cyrus, O'Brien broods with the newfound confidence of someone who knows she's never been a mere afterthought: "You only saw a glimpse of me." "Love & limerence" is cathartic, sending you off the heartbreak of blip and into a place of healing and empowerment.
Elsewhere on "Love & Limerence," "here, alone, again," and "Second Love" are emotional highlights that reaffirm O'Brien's introspective lyricism and ability to channel singular experiences into universal truths. Over the course of its 18-minute run, "Love & Limerence" solidifies Olivia O'Brien as a pop storyteller who isn't afraid to reveal the wounds love can leave behind while still finding resilience in the scars.