Lizzy McAlpine visits SiriusXM Studios on March 28, 2024, in New York. Credit: Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images Via TNS

In her fourth studio album, “Angel,” Lizzy McAlpine departs from her discography’s typical themes of heartbreak and loss while maintaining an all-too-familiar sound.?

The soft folk singer-songwriter, best known for stripped-down songs and emotionally complex lyrics, released her long-awaited album Sept. 18 and, with it, continued the pattern of her traditional sounds — stripped-down backings and weighted lyrics.?

Some of McAlpine’s most recognizable work includes her debut album “Give Me a Minute,” the hit single “ceilings” from her second album, and the most gut-wrenching of them all, “Pushing It Down And Praying” from her third album, “Older (And Wiser).”

“Angel” is different.

Instead of her typical downers, McAlpine opens with “The light in the painting,” the album’s lead single, released in July. The song had a brief stint as a TikTok trend for couples to post pictures of one another over the bridge of the song.

“If somewhere there is a heaven / This is as close as I will get,” McAlpine sings over a guitar and piano backing track.?

It’s a soft track — not one that throws you into the album, but instead, eases you into what’s to come.?

“Anybody’s fool” continues that slower entry, highlighting the comfort McAlpine has found in a romantic relationship. Sonically similar to the opening track, the pair feel very similar to the sound of “Older (And Wiser).”?

“A car wash and a new pair of pants” picks up the pace and introduces more instrumental backing to the album, with heavier acoustic and electro-acoustic guitars and drums. In the same way the first two tracks resemble her 2024 release, track three feels like it could easily fit into “Give Me a Minute.”?

The next stretch of songs — “I have a friend” and “The moon” — follow similar stories of being happy and in love, with predictable lyrics that come from being in a relationship. While not the biggest standouts of the album, it’s refreshing to have more upbeat McAlpine songs separate from the COVID-19 pandemic era.?

“Ugly things” was the second single released before the album, and it brings back the classic melancholic lyrics that McAlpine is best known for.? The track is a level-up from her previous work, and it’s clear that as McAlpine is enduring new stages in her life, her music and creation process do too.?

“All the ugly things that you’re doing now / Try to help you sleep, / try to push it down / All the ugly things will come back around / Wish they made me not love you,” McAlpine sings in the chorus.?

However, after “Ugly things,” the album falls flat.

Even with happier notes being at the forefront of the album, McAlpine still managed to include another track to add to her arsenal of breakup-inspired hits.?

The remainder of the album is comforting and familiar, but tracks seven through 12 sound all too similar. Each uses some variation of slower tempos, calmer acoustics, and McAlpine’s vocals, but for her fourth album, they all feel safe and like borderline filler material.?

If there’s a standout from the latter half of the album, it’s “Soldier of the road,” which features folk band Fleet Foxes. The group takes a smaller role in the song than expected, leaning more into background vocals than a separate verse.

“Over country” offers a sentimental touch, speaking to McAlpine’s experience in a long-distance relationship, but its central placement in the album’s tracklist leads it to get lost.?

Played back-to-back, and without knowing each song individually, it’s truly difficult to tell them apart.?

Thankfully, the experience shifts with “The crowd,” a song that pays homage to McAlpine’s personal journey with grief. It still uses familiar elements, such as a slow build into strong vocals and relying exclusively on piano backing, but the lyrics stand out, as well as the meaning behind it being a total switch-up from the previous tracks.?

“Everything I do / I do so I can make you proud / Everything I do / I make it big so you can hear the crowd,” McAlpine sings in a prolonged chorus.

“The crowd” serves as a pleasing penultimate track before the album closes off with its title track, “Angel.” The final song teeters on the edge of slipping into her usual sound, but manages to maintain its individuality.?

Overall, McAlpine’s newest, highly anticipated album is clearly her own. However, there are pieces that sound too similar.?

While the album highlights a lighter, happier time in McAlpine’s life, there’s little indication that these songs are breaking ground, especially when compared to her earlier work.?

Rating: 3/5