The Music and Planet Project

When Up and Comers reviewed Aerhart’s debut album Wallflower, we touched on the diversity of genres blended into a cohesive and accessible sound. Now, in a second album, The Keeper, the artist is still bending genres, but she’s also finding moments to hone in on a more defined sound. In The Keeper, Aerhart delivers an album that feels experimental but also decisive and focused, boldly taking on genres like darkwave, synth pop, and rock.

Don’t be mistaken, there’s still plenty of experimentation in The Keeper. This is not a single genre or single mood album. The way Aerhart weaves together a wide variety of electronic and acoustic sounds into cohesive individual songs is as impressive as it was in the debut album Wallflower. But on select tracks like Love is Simple, Love is Blind, Aerhart pares things down and uses just one pad, one beat, and a Billie Eilish-esque whispered voice through the entire first verse and chorus. She later adds more textures, but they stay within a similar electropop lane. Kingdom Come similarly takes us in a decisive direction with a repeated synth riff in the chorus that anchors us. The album’s closing tracks, Goodbye to the Gone and Here Forever, are characterized by the singer and primarily just one other instrument. She’s still experimenting and keeping us on our toes, but at select moments, she’d like to pare things down to just a few essential elements. 

One notable similarity to the first album is that the electric guitar plays a key role in just a couple of the songs, providing contrast with the other songs and highlighting its unique tonal qualities. In “Axis Swayed”, for example, the guitar is tuned down and strummed in a dark Americana way that makes it feel fitting for the soundtrack to a Western. In “The Diner”, the electric guitar adds the oomph to the chorus in more of a triumphant rock, Lenny Kravitz style. And the vocal takes on a similar character, reminding us a bit of Janis Joplin. As is evident, in addition to the many other genres she displays, Aerhart is also clearly a student of rock and roll.

There is so much to love about Aerhart’s second album, The Keeper. She brings the same level of imagination and experimentation that we saw in Wallflower but also writes some songs that feel more defined. She continues to bring a mix of deeply emotive vocals, imaginative textures, and refreshing song structures, and she settles more deeply into an artistic identity. This is an exciting step forward for one of Up and Comers’ favorite emerging acts. 

Stream Aerhart’s second album here and follow on Instagram.