I’d put Briston Maroney’s first album, “Ultrapure,” in an IV drip if I could.

I’d give all of his songs, even his debut EP “Big Shot” from 2017,  refuge in my body. They could make homes for themselves in between my ribs, letting me feel them in my lungs as I inhale. 

Maroney made a name for himself on “American Idol” when he was 15. Since then, he has released four EPs with his record label. His newest creation is 13 tracks of pure genius. Maroney welcomes us into his deepest moments, handing us his most vulnerable memories and asking us to just sit and listen.

Maroney eases us into the album with the song “Intro,” starting slow and soft. I can’t help but sync my breathing to the guitar and lyrics, letting the 44-second snippet wash over me, filling every groove in my brain. 

“Intro” gives us a preview of what’s to come, setting the tone for the confessional feel of the album. Maroney sings to us like we’re his diary, spilling secrets that bedroom walls are usually the only ones privy to. What makes this album listen-worthy is how welcoming the lyrics are, wrapping themselves around you, forcing you to stare their meaning dead in the eyes.

A prime example of this is the song “Body,” the first single released off the song. 

“Taking lots of reckless drives to ease the edge of reckless minds / I never thought that I would feel this close to myself / Laughing so I wouldn’t cry and crying ’cause I don’t know why / but feelin’ every feelin’ always seems to help.”

“Body” acts as the transition between the first song and “Breathe.” This song is the first breath of fresh air in the album. The upbeat beginning throws you off balance after the emotional opening track. This song is anything but quiet. It’s loud; it takes up space; it tells you that you don’t need to make yourself small to fit into this world.

“Breathe” is my favorite song of the album. The funky beat in the background and the repetition of the chorus makes it an easy song to get stuck in my head. I find myself constantly singing along. As one of the most upbeat and fast-paced songs on the album, it gives “Ultrapure” a well-rounded feel and a song that fits every mood. 

You’d think a song titled “Sunshine” would cover a happier subject matter, but this is not the case. The strong beat is deceiving, but the further down the rabbit hole I spiral, the more raw the lyrics begin to feel. Maroney thanks those in his life for loving him unconditionally while coming to the realization that you can’t outrun your childhood.

“You said ‘you can tear down all the walls of all the places you called home’ / But you can never walk away from where you came.”

The album ends the way it begins — incorporating the introduction track, “Intro,” into the finale.

The 44-second snippet begins to make sense as we see that it’s actually a piece of the last song, a piece of a puzzle I didn’t realize I was putting together.

While the whole album has a depth worthy of appreciation, the title track “Ultrapure” takes us further. We enter the core of who Maroney is, serenaded by guitar chords and pelted with his words that sink their claws into your heart. Getting a deeper look into Maroney as a person, we’re allowed a glimpse into his life. His use of imagery transports the listener to the scene he is describing while singing to us with a heart wrecking chorus. 

“I was born to forgive you / Ultrapure like a child / It was never your fault / But surely, it wasn’t mine.”

The cyclical structure of the album traps you. You can’t escape; you can only listen. The album’s beginning is the album’s ending, and as Maroney’s voice fades from my headphones, I’m met with silence. 

This album is welcoming, inviting everyone to make a home within the chords. Listening to the 13 songs about growing into adulthood and dealing with the new challenges of being an adult is comforting. Between “Body” giving listeners permission to take up space in the world and “Sunshine” appreciating unconditional love, we get a track-by-track view of a different aspect of adulthood. Each track seems to encapsulate a new emotion of growing up and we get a first row seat to Maroney’s own experiences.

The songs are about moving on from the things from our past that cling to us, moving to new places and experiencing new things. This album makes me feel welcome, somewhere between the lyrics and the bass. It feels new and refreshing while wrapping me in a hug. 

Edited by Alex Goldstein | agoldstein@themaneater.com 

Copy Edited by Briana Iordan and Grace Knight | gknight@themaneater.com

Edited by Sophie Rentschler | srentschler@themaneater.com