We all listen to music. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be reading this, and I wouldn’t be writing it. But the central question at the heart of Things You Didn’t See — from yet another country breakout star — is this: do you know who I really am?
You might by the end.
The title track itself has layers — literally. It’s a summation of everything that’s brought Priscilla Block to this point, a statement piece wrapped in melody and meaning.
“Bring Me Downtown” digs deep into the darkness of a broken relationship. Even the guitar seems to gently weep along. There’s an innate sadness, too, in “Stranger Things,” her duet with Chase Matthew. But as with everything Block does, it’s so well crafted, it sounds like a million dollars.
There’s room for fun here as well. “Goodwill To Gucci” might be tongue-in-cheek, but it’s tailor-made for the honky-tonk floor. “Phones And Radios” slows the pace and offers a sense of calm — a wish to leave the noise of the modern world behind — though “Couldn’t Care Less,” with its distaste for social media, reminds you how hard that actually is.
“2-3-4” feels like it’s hiding behind a mask, keeping with the record’s theme of showing one face while feeling another. Then comes “Try,” where the confidence and swagger return, and “Good On You,” a knowing nod to heartbreak and loss, carried by yet another first-rate chorus.
Nothing overstays its welcome. “Yard Sale” packs sass and bite into just two minutes and nineteen seconds, while the cover of “Cecilia (Breaking My Heart)” is better than Suggs’ version — though that’s not a high bar. It’s the tender ballad “He’s My Man” that really shows where Block’s strengths lie.
“Elijah” looks back on a first love with touching sincerity, and the reflective “Time Ain’t A Two Lane” — presented here as a demo — feels like a window into the creative process, much as the whole record feels like a window into Block’s life.
Given that she’s the main writer on nearly every track, Things You Didn’t See is clearly personal. It’s a brave record, yes, but more than that — it’s a very good one.
Rating: 8.5/10
