Los Angeles-based and Jersey-bred pop-rock artist, Mistine (aka Christine Meisenhelter), has just released her striking debut album, i guess this is where we’re at. Her music wonderfully blends modern pop flair with vintage classic rock edge, over lyrical themes that intertwine her twin passions of human connection and our collective relationship with the environment.
The album opener ‘changing with the weather’, signifies this straight away as the song uses climate change as if it were both a mirror and metaphor for the fluctuations of Mistine’s own feelings, especially during the upheaval and dramatic changes she has experienced in her 20s. Musically, Avril Lavigne comes to mind and a guitar solo is always welcome!
As she says in her own words:
I am constantly thinking about our environment. I really tried to incorporate ways to tell the story of what our world is going through in the climate crisis without explicitly saying it in the song – I began exploring thinking about our planet as a friend or relationship and how each member would feel though this distraction and climate change – how we’re trying to preserve what we have left – as if I were trying to salvage a relationship with a loved one.”
It’s followed up by the short but profound ‘overrated’, which starts with party chatter and delves into the disillusionment felt by having to adhere to social norms, with hints of Billie Eilish in her vocals.
Other highlights include ‘lithium town’ with its distinct layered guitars, driving bass, and hypnotic layered vocals reminiscent of the emotional power of P!nk and heartbreak anthem ‘see u somewhere’, with its sonic references to the 90s.
There is also a nod to modern country, with the nostalgic ballad ‘vermont’, ‘summertime’ and latest single ‘just for you’.
The album closes with ‘another day’, a synth-heavy track with sparse, dreamy vocals, that would not be out of place on a 1975 album. It feels like an emotional ending that still gives you hope for the future.
The sonic elements make it just as easy to listen to this album in your bedroom with headphones on, or blasting out through the speakers whilst driving down the highway, a wonderful blend of modern and vintage, with the added layer of examining our relationship with the planet.
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