Music Review: Lizzy McAlpine
Written by Caroline Bergmann
After releasing Older in 2024, Lizzy McAlpine took a short break from music and took her talents elsewhere. In April 2025, she made her Broadway Debut in Floyd Collins at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre. She starred as Nellie Collins alongside actor Jeremy Jordan, who played Floyd Collins. She then made her television acting debut in School Spirits as a featured character named Joyce Ball, where she sang a cover of “The House of the Rising Sun,” which she later released on her streaming platforms.
After a two-year break, Lizzy McAlpine has returned to music and recently released her fourth studio album, Angel. The album includes 14 brand-new tracks, all written and composed in a warm, indie-folk style. The instrumentation features soft, tender piano and twangy guitar, tied together with McAlpine's poignant and evocative lyricism. Track 7, “Soldier of the road,” features indie folk-rock band Fleet Foxes.
The first track, “The Light in the Painting,” was the first song written for Angel. McAlpine says she wrote it backstage during her tour for Older. She felt it was the “perfect introduction to the world we’ve built for Angel.”
This album is near and dear to McAlpine's heart. In her announcement post, she said, “It helped me process and heal and grieve and love, and so soon it will be yours to maybe help you do the same thing.” While still maintaining her signature indie sound, she also drew influence and inspiration from both classic and contemporary artists, as well as the Laurel Canyon musicians associated with ‘70s folk music.
Fans also suspect that the album's style may have been influenced by McAlpine's time in Floyd Collins. Angel has a very folkish, theatrical, and contemporary sound that is reminiscent of Floyd Collins, which is itself a folk musical. Although McAlpine has not confirmed that the musical directly influenced the album, the similarities in their sounds are noticeable, especially considering how the projects overlapped.
Overall, Angel is a beautiful representation of the evolution of McAlpine's artistry. It keeps the emotional honesty and intimate songwriting she’s known for, while expanding into a warmer, more theatrical folk sound. Angel shows McAlpine continuing to explore new sides of herself as both a musician and an artist. More than anything, the album feels deeply personal. A collection of songs shaped by love, grief, healing, and growth that McAlpine invites her listeners to experience with her. With Angel officially out, McAlpine is preparing to take the album on the road for her “Over The Country Tour,” giving fans the chance to see this new chapter of her artistry come to life on stage.
