‘No Hard Feelings’ by The Beaches — Love, Loss & Friendship - Album Review
- Sonic Hub
- Aug 31, 2025
- 4 min read
The Toronto-based four-piece — Jordan and Kylie Miller, Leandra Earl, and Eliza Enman-McDaniel — embark on an eleven-track emotional roller coaster, plunging headfirst into exploring not only the highs and lows, but the chaotic messiness of love and loss. Punctuated with gritty guitar, energetic drums, and varying elements of both alt and punk rock, every song tells a different, holistic story, from the perspective of a different band member. Lead singer Jordan Miller, who also serves as the primary lyricist, captures the ache of her bandmates’ personal experiences just as deftly as her own.
The album kicks off with a bang with a classic messy party girl anthem, ‘Can I Call You in the Morning?’ With fast-paced and intense guitar and drums evocative of the punk-rock genre, Miller details regretting her drunken words, singing, “Should we just break up thеn?; I don’t mean that, I’m sorry; Can I call you in the morning?”
‘Did I Say Too Much,’ which details guitarist Leandra Earl’s disastrous relationship with a partnered poly girl, keeps the high energy going, with a strong beat and bright guitar riffs, and arguably the album’s catchiest bridge.
‘Sorry for Your Loss’ shifts the tone from regretting a relationship to being happy it’s over. Written from guitarist Kylie Miller’s perspective, the song is a little less punk rock and a little more alt-rock, with dreamy, echoey guitar riffs. With an infectious “I was too good for you anyway” energy, Miller defiantly states she is sorry for her ex’s loss.
‘Touch Myself’ hits on some more complex emotions; the beachy, breezy anthem explores intense heartbreak and attempting to move on while simultaneously still yearning for that person.
In ‘Fine, Let’s Get Married,’ Miller reflects on the things she loathes about herself and her behavior, as well as what she dislikes about her current partner and relationship. She sings, “Fine, Ryan; I’ll fuck you forever, for now.” And yes — that’s Miller’s current boyfriend’s real name, following in the footsteps of the band’s smash hit ‘Blame Brett’ off their last album. Though this song toes the line of sounding too similar to the last song on the album, ‘Last Girls at the Party’,it accurately captures the complexities of what it feels like to be young, dumb, and in love with someone who’s equally young and dumb.
The first single off the album, ‘Takes One to Know One’ is a classic summer rock anthem. With beachy guitar riffs, a catchy chorus, and a screamable pre-chorus, it less-than-seriously details a slightly toxic, immature relationship between two ‘anti-social, maladjusted, non-committal, can’t be trusted’ people; it’s delightfully, relatably messy, and intensely self-aware.
Transitioning to a more punk-rock sound, ‘I Wore You Better’ captures the pain of being used by someone to merely satisfy a curiosity or “just to try it.” With a catchy, fast flow to the lyrics and quieter, more subtle guitar, Miller sings, “Now you have your boyfriend wearing my sweater; You can play pretend, but I wore you better”.
‘Dirty Laundry’ slows the pace down a little bit, returning to the theme of an immature relationship. However, this time, the singer actually ends things with their partner, almost serving as a natural continuation of the stories told in ‘Fine, Let’s Get Married’ and ‘Takes One to Know One.
The most sonically unique song on the album, ‘Lesbian of the Year’ explores Earl’s experience with coming out as a lesbian later in life, as well the pressure queer fans can unknowingly place on her, looking up to her as a role model. Slow and groovy, the synth-laced alt-rock ballad strikes an achingly and vulnerably emotional chord, especially for those who have embarked on a similar journey. Miller’s emotive, powerful vocals lend themselves extremely beautifully to the slower ballad.
Though ‘Jocelyn’ may be sonically difficult to put in a box and differs from the rest of the album, thematically, it fits right in. I can only be described as spooky, with prominent background vocals and spikey guitar riffs. Miller explores imposter syndrome and fan culture; “Don’t put me on a pedestal; You’re only gonna see me fall.”
After ten songs exploring the lows of romantic relationships, ‘Last Girls at the Party’ lands as the perfect album closer. It’s all about having fun with your girls, a reminder that while relationships can be fulfilling and fun, it’s your best friends who will always stick by your side. The high-energy pop-rock anthem perfectly captures that bittersweet moment when the bar is closing but you’re still craving for the night to carry on. Notably, it’s also the only song with the album title in the lyrics. The true foundation and heart of ‘No Hard Feelings’ is built upon the strong relationships and love The Beaches have for each other. Though lovers come and go and breakups suck, at the end of the night, Jordan, Kylie, Leandra, and Eliza are always the last girls at the party, together.
High-energy, unapologetic, and brutally introspective, ‘No Hard Feelings’ is a bonafide summer rock album. It’s a collection of stories from four people with vastly different experiences from a wide range of relationships. But somehow, it ties those perspectives together perfectly. The Beaches’ true strength lies in their versatility, and ‘No Hard Feelings’ showcases both their ability to blend different genres into their established alt-rock sound, as well as their lyrical dexterity in an impressive manner. Though they already have quite a few accolades under their belt, you’re going to want to keep an eye on The Beaches. Nothing will stop them from having a good time.
WORDS ALLYSON PARK
Comments