Portrait Of My Heart by Spellling | Album Review

The fourth album from the celebrated indie project displays frontwoman Tia Cabral’s ability to do whatever she sets her mind to.

Tia Cabral, better known by her stage name Spellling, has made quite a name for herself in the eight short years since her debut album Pantheon Of Me.

On the back of LPs like Mazy Fly and, particularly, The Turning Wheel, Cabral earned the eternal good graces of critics and fans alike. The latter even attained the incredibly rare perfect 10 from YouTube critic Anthony Fantano, one of only eight in his fifteen year career.

And I can affirm his opinion, as my own review of The Turning Wheel warranted one of the highest scores I’ve ever given. The luscious orchestration combined with her story-like lyrics rooted in nature and fairy tales absolutely bowled me over, and I was far from alone.

For her new fourth album Portrait Of My Heart, however, Cabral takes her sound in a completely new direction, embracing gritty and dark alt-rock influences ranging from Queen to Coheed & Cambria. Though some of the orchestral elements of her past work carries through, Cabral seems determined to make Spellling whatever she needs the project to be, and fans like me are more than willing to follow her on this new journey.

The opening title track perfectly sets this new tone for Spellling. Subtly complex drumming, warm string harmonies, and building power chords on guitar all back Cabral’s anthemic vocals. Lyrically, she introduces themes of lost love and lack of belonging right away as well, wailing “I don’t belong here” throughout each chorus.

Following that, “Alibi” takes us straight to emo territory, with driving guitar riffs and pounding drums, and one of Cabral’s most defiant vocal performances to date. And defiant she should be, because she absolutely excoriates a cheating lover in the lyrics, summarily kicking him to the curb:

You're a psychopath

And I loved you for that

But I won't take you back, this time.

We get some of Cabral’s most sophisticated songwriting on “Destiny Arrives.” The track begins with a bubbling bassline, laced with Cabral’s intricate vocal lines. She mastered the slow build on this track, ramping up the tension through each chorus with tremolo strings and added vocal harmonies, before exploding in the final moments. I really appreciate how she reharmonized the final verse, adding an extra layer of intrigue that draws me in as a listener. 

Even more intriguing is the song she chose to close the album, a cover of the 1991 My Bloody Valentine track “Sometimes.” Not only does she earn points with me from referencing one of my favorite albums of all time, but she does the song justice, capturing the hazy shoegaze sound so associated with MBV, with her own spin. Even the lyrics tie in beautifully with the themes of broken relationships and otherness:

Close my eyes, feel me now

I don't know, maybe you could not hurt me now

Here alone, when I feel down too

Over there, when I wait true love for you.

Considering how tight this album is, only a couple moments stand out in a bad way. “Satisfaction” sees Cabral take a brief detour into heavy metal territory, and she fails to stick the landing on this homage. “Drain” also confuses me, as it begins with a lovely bit of indie rock that I actually quite like. However, shoved right next to it is a lugubrious, minor key outro that simply doesn’t connect with the beginning of the song.

I also think Cabral has taken a step down lyrically from her work on The Turning Wheel. While the more personal focus on romance and inner turmoil fit the rock band aesthetic of the LP, her prior work was so evocative and imaginative, and that feels missing from Portrait Of My Heart. 

Despite a few growing pains in this transition, Portrait Of My Heart is still proof Cabral can achieve nearly anything artistically if she puts her mind to it. Sonically adventurous, musically studied, and impeccably produced as always, Spellling remains a music project of the highest caliber, and one I’ll have in my speakers for years to come.

Production: 9/10

Lyrics: 7/10

Songwriting: 7/10

Overall: 7.5/10

Favorites: Portrait of My Heart, Alibi, Destiny Arrives, Sometimes

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Thank you for reading! What did you think of this album? Feel free to leave a comment with your thoughts and recommendations.