Shoshana Ami’s latest album, Baby, is a raw, emotional journey through the alternative-pop landscape. With its blend of whimsical joy and heart-wrenching honesty, Baby pulls no punches, serving up a dose of vulnerability that’s both refreshing and profound. For anyone tired of overly polished, predictable pop music, this album is a welcome antidote — unfiltered, jagged at times, but brimming with truth.
A Journey of Resilience and Realness
To understand Baby, it helps to understand the artist behind it. Shoshana Ami isn’t your average pop star. Raised on classical music, she was something of a prodigy, mastering the works of Bach by age six. Her path to alt-pop has been as twisty and unexpected as her music, making her work all the more compelling. This isn’t her first foray into the music world — fans may remember her debut album, Pretty Liar, which offered a glimpse into her soul. But Baby takes us deeper, weaving together themes of love, loss, and finding peace amid chaos, all with Ami’s signature wit and emotional depth.
From Ecstatic Love to Unsettling Longing
One of the album’s standout tracks, “I Like It,” opens Baby with an explosion of joyous energy. It feels like a burst of youthful infatuation, delivered with a carefree twirl-around-the-living-room vibe. The repetitive chorus — “Lalalalala, I like like like it” — is irresistibly catchy, lodging itself in your brain for days. It’s playful, uplifting, and brimming with lighthearted charm, the perfect opening salvo for an album that doesn’t shy away from emotional extremes.
But Ami doesn’t let listeners stay in that bubble for long. Just as you’re settling into the light, “Wanna Have Your Baby” drops you into a deeper, more vulnerable space. The song’s longing lyrics — “I wanna have your baby, but I don’t have you” — explore the complexities of desire and unattainable love. It’s a poignant shift, bringing listeners into the all-too-familiar ache of wanting something, or someone, that remains just out of reach.
Heartbreak in its Rawest Form
The album’s emotional rollercoaster continues with “Without You,” a track that hits hard with its stark honesty. “I hit the bottom,” Ami sings, her voice both haunting and fragile. The song is an unflinching portrayal of heartbreak and survival, without a hint of melodrama. Ami’s voice carries the weight of the song’s grief, letting every note resonate with listeners who have felt the sting of loss. It’s simple, direct, and devastating.
Lyrical Wit and Relatability
Ami’s lyrical prowess shines throughout the album, often pairing poignant emotions with clever, relatable lines. In “I’m Not Cool Anymore,” she crafts an anthem for every adult who once dreamed of being a rock star, only to find themselves wanting nothing more than to hide under the covers. It’s self-deprecating in the best way, capturing the disillusionment that comes with growing older, while still holding onto a bit of that youthful defiance.
Then there’s “Mad Man’s World,” a slow-burn track that packs a serious punch. With lyrics that tackle themes of womanhood and power dynamics, it feels like a statement piece — soft on the surface but steely underneath. The song lingers long after it ends, leaving listeners with a lot to think about.
Perfectly Imperfect Production
One of the album’s most striking qualities is its rawness. Baby isn’t a polished, over-produced piece of work — and that’s exactly what makes it so special. At times, the production feels intentionally rough around the edges, giving it a very human, lived-in quality. You can almost hear the isolation of pandemic life in the background, the quiet of Sag Harbor where the album was born, and even the wind whistling through the phone-recorded moments. It feels personal, intimate, like you’re listening in on a private conversation between Ami and her own thoughts.
A Soulful Ode to Survival
If you’ve ever experienced big life changes — be it personal growth, the tumult of a pandemic, or the messy process of finding yourself — Baby is the album you didn’t know you needed. It’s a soulful ode to survival, a tribute to the chaos of motherhood, and a reflection on the messiness of simply being human. Shoshana Ami invites her listeners to sit with their emotions, no matter how uncomfortable, and to find solace in the shared experience of it all.
Final Thoughts
In Baby, Shoshana Ami delivers a wild, wistful masterpiece that doesn’t just entertain — it moves you. The album is not perfect, but that’s precisely where its magic lies. Through its emotional ups and downs, its moments of pure joy and profound sorrow, Baby feels real in a way that so much modern pop music does not. It’s an album for anyone who has felt love, loss, and the complicated mess in between.
And as Ami sings on that opening track, “Lalalalala, I like like like it” — trust me, you will too.
Verdict: Shoshana Ami may not think she’s “cool anymore,” but her fearless authenticity is something we can’t get enough of.
Published by: Nelly Chavez
