Yours Truly first landed on Second Society Report’s radar after the release of their single “High Hopes” back in 2018. And now, two years later, we are so excited to see the release of their debut album, Self Care

As the band’s first follow up to 2019’s Afterburner, which helped gain the band over 200 thousand monthly listeners on Spotify alone, Self Care gives fans an honest and raw look into the band and their inner thoughts and feelings.

“We called the record Self Care because writing it helped me do a lot of healing. I hope whoever listens to it can find their own message or healing in the songs,” vocalist Mikaila Delgado shared with us earlier this summer. “To know that having a million emotions about a situation in your life is fine, taking time to look after yourself is key.”

Opening on the upbeat “Siamese Souls,” Self Care starts off strong. Written about a breakup that leaves one party feeling lost and looking for a sense of closure through the idea of fate or astrology, the track features upbeat instrumentals that have you bopping along before the meaning of the lyrics hits. Ending with the lyric “I’ll live,” the song perfectly sets the tone for the rest of the emotionally packed album by reminding listeners that they can and will get through the hardships they may face.

Then leading into the album’s lead single, “Composure” takes listeners onto the flip side of a breakup- with lyrics about moving on, realizing your worth, and handling everything with full composure. Keeping with the uptempo rock vibes, the track will have fans dancing along while ready to set fire to their pasts in the best way.

Following “Composure,” the album begins to dabble back into feelings of uncertainty and self doubt with the second single to be released from Self Care, “Together.”

Written after feeling immense pressure both from within and from external forces to create the best album of their career in order to keep up with the Afterglow hype, “Together” is the band’s most personal song to date. Using analogies such as “the color drained from my brain” to give listener’s an idea of the stress the band members felt when beginning the writing process, this song opens the floor for conversations about self doubt and feeling afraid of having your work judged by thousands. Fortunately though, this song is one of the best on the album, so those fears of coming up short will hopefully be put to rest.

After “Together” the album once more takes fans on a turn into the positive, with the fun pop inspired track “Vivid Dream.”

Telling the story of living in a euphoric state where it seems all of your dreams are coming true and “[you’re] at [your] best,” “Vivid Dream” is all about living in the moment and soaking up the good while you can.

And though this track is one of the few openly happier tracks on the album, it holds its own as one of the best songs in total. With catchy lyrics, a danceable beat and an elevated vibe all around, “Vivid Dream” will have you singing along as you take stock of all of the good things happening in your life right now- something we should all do more often.

These good vibes are then continued into “Undersize,” which Delgado shared she wrote for a close friend.

“I wrote [‘Undersize’] for one of my best friends, just to let them know that I’m here always,” she told us. “I think it’s very honest and the first time I have written a song for someone in a comforting way.”

As one of the more alternative and one of two acoustic tracks on the album, “Undersize” slows things down a bit before they are picked back up by the very catchy “Ghost.”

A song about losing yourself and trying to rebuild after some major life changes, such as a breakup, “Ghost” ties back in with “Composure” and “Siamese Souls,” as the lyrics navigate re-establishing your sense of self.

With lines such as “I’m nothing more than see through, I’ll see it through” repeating throughout the song, “Ghost” tackles the idea of feeling invisible head on without leaving listeners feeling defeated. Instead, the song represents a turn towards healing and re-claiming your identity, despite what you’ve been through.

Following “Ghost” is one of the more somber tracks on the album, yet still a personal favorite, “Funeral Home.”

The last single to be released prior to this week, “Funeral Home” is a brutally honest depiction of growing up and the inevitable regret that comes with seeing friends more often at funerals than just to catch up.

Telling the story of the seeming never ending cycle of attending wakes and funerals year after year that result in reminiscing and reconnecting with friends that you may otherwise not see, this song is both unifying and devastating.

And though the lyrics are heartbreaking in nature, the instrumentals will have you wanting to move and get all of that built up stress and sadness out of your system via a spontaneous dance number.

The album’s 8th track “Glass Houses” will have you feeling similarly.

All about coming face to face with issues within your relationship and acknowledging issues upfront once they’re past the point of ignoring, “Glass Houses” is a more punk inspired song, with very driving percussion and punchy guitar.

One of the most relatable tracks on the album (though who are we kidding- this entire collection is relatable) “Glass Houses” doesn’t hold any punches back and confronts the ugly truths that come out once a relationship begins to diminish- tearing away any pretty ribbons and bows that may make it seem picture perfect from the outside.

And once things are up and kicking at the end of “Glass Houses,” “Half Of Me,” swoops in to slow it back down and give listeners a break from rocking out too hard.

The sole love song on the album, “Half of Me,” is about long distance relationships and the struggle of being far away from someone you love while also being plagued with insecurities and doubts about both yourself and your relationship.

An emotionally baring acoustic ballad, this song is a beautiful look into the struggles of being on the road while maintaining healthy relationships with those back home- whether it’s romantic or platonic. And while many other artists have written similar tracks about this same subject matter, something about “Half of Me” stands out as one of the best.

Named after the phrase “I wear my heart on my sleeve,” the final track “Heartsleeve” is a perfect encapsulation of the past 9 tracks. It is raw, honest, and vulnerable, and is the perfect culmination of the band’s talent.

Lyrically, the track is about self doubt, specifically as a follow up to “Half of Me,” and the demise of a relationship.

But instead of fearing the end, the track questions feeling anything other than numbness, and how anxieties and self doubt often lead us to anticipate the worst, even if it is not going to happen.

With engaging guitar riffs, upbeat percussion and soaring vocals, this track puts the band on full display in the best way. All four members are all at the top of their game and the album comes to a close in the perfect manner.

Self Care may have been written as a way for the band to heal and process their own struggles, but this album could not have come at a better time for die-hard fans and casual listeners alike. With relatable lyric after lyric, incredible instrumentals, and an overall cohesive and honest theme, Self Care is the perfect album to throw on whenever you’re doubting yourself or your surroundings. It reminds you that you’re not alone in feeling how you do, and that even when things are at their worst, you’ll “pull it all together.”

You can stream Self Care out now wherever you stream music, and be sure to catch up with all things Yours Truly via the links below.

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