'Rise and Shine' Review: Cassadee Pope's moving, intimate LP is a mature reflection of her musical evolution
Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter, Cassadee Pope, officially released her third studio album, 'Rise and Shine' this weekend on August 7 via Awake Music. The stripped-down, raw and intimate record serves as another significant milestone in the singer's illustrious career, which included fronting the popular rock band, Hey Monday, winning Season 3 of 'The Voice' and releasing her No.1 debut album 'Frame By Frame' in 2013.
As the successor to her sophomore offering, 'Stages' (2019), 'Rise and Shine' is a collection of eight acoustic songs which marks the first time Pope had a hand in both writing and co-producing all the tracks on the album. It's also an album that showcases the 30-year-old's personal growth and musical evolution as a multi-platinum-selling country and pop star.
The majority of these heartfelt and minimally arranged tracks deal with the complex and knotty emotional issues we all wrestle with at some point in our lives, delving into the nitty-gritty of moving on and letting go, even at the cost of bruising one's heartstrings. "'Rise and Shine' is a record that is meant to help people navigate their feelings in this trying time," Pope explained. "Personally, it’s been a reflective time for me, and a lot of what I’ve reflected upon has brought up some dark moments."
Case in point, the album opener, 'Let Me Go' is an anguished plea to a loved one set against a somber acoustic guitar backdrop, as Cassadee pours her heart out to someone she can't seem to reconcile her differences with. "You don't get me so why you gotta keep on holding me back like this / You don't want me but you won't take these chains off of my wrists / I'll never be good enough for you, never be good enough / What are we doing? / You don't get me, so let me go," she implores.
Talking about the song, Pope revealed, "I wrote this when I felt like I had come to a crossroads with someone in my life. The thing I love about this one is that it can pertain to relationships, friendships, family, work, etc. It’s about any time someone doesn’t understand you and seems to not accept you, but won’t let you go." You can check out the music video below:
Up next is the upbeat and infectious 'Hoodie', where the singer takes a walk down memory lane after discovering her ex-boyfriend's hoodie in her car. As Pope admitted, "This song is definitely the most conversational of the record. It’s about finding someone’s hoodie that you’ve never really gotten over and it’s the perfect excuse to reach out to them again. You try to make it seem like there’s no motive behind reaching out but you end up being super obvious."
The breezy lyrics go "If you want it I could bring it / If you don't need it I'll keep it / No pressure it's no difference to me / I promise I'm not hoping that you'll wanna see me too / Maybe grab a cup of coffee maybe see where it could move / No way, no way, babe."
On 'California Dreaming', which the singer admits is her mom's favorite song, she teams up with Sam Palladio for some gorgeous harmonies on this pensive yet soaring track which namedrops quite a few places in the US. The lyrics go "I've been Texas talking to myself at night / I've been Florida Fallin since I met you in 09 / I've been Arizona angry over every word we said / And Tennessee whiskey wishing I could take it back... Keep trying to lose you in the Hollywood hills / But I'm California dreaming still and I always will."
As Pope revealed, "It’s about a time in my life when I traveled everywhere and did everything I could to forget about someone and none of it worked...at the time."
Meanwhile, the dreamy and shimmering 'Counting On The Weather' has Pope hoping that a spell of stormy weather means that she gets to spend more time with her lover indoors. The tender lyrics go "I kinda hope the clouds roll in / Rain slippin through the window screen / I kinda hope the thunder comes and keeps us up so we can't sleep / 'Cause layin here tangled up in these sheets / Is sweeter than anything I could dream / Don't wanna shut my eyes, wanna stay up all night together / I'm countin on the weather." The singer also admitted, "I wanted people to hear this and feel cozy, sexy, and comfortable to lean into the laziness that rainy weather inflicts upon us all!"
On 'Hangover', Cassadee revisits her 'Hey Monday' days as she reimagines an old fan favorite as a stripped-down ballad. The song talks about someone who gives you an emotional hangiver after you interact with them. "Oh my god, what's wrong with my head? Sweating with the chills, still in my bed / Tell me how I'll ever make it through / It's the short hellos, and the long goodbyes /The shake in my lip from the look in your eyes / Makes me want to die, I've got the worst hangover from you."
Meanwhile, the emotive title track 'Rise and Shine' is a gorgeous and lilting ode to self-empowerment, and it's still as relevant today as when it was written six years ago. It also features some beautiful vocal harmonies and is probably the standout track on this album. "When times get tough / Yeah no matter what /We gotta rise and shine / When you try your best and it just ain't enough/ You wanna spread your wings but you feel stuck / You could give it all up or just believe / And shake yourself awake from this bad dream."
As Pope revealed, "No matter what we go through in life, we have two choices: let it defeat us and crumble, or rise and shine. I hope through this difficult time in the world we all find the strength to do the latter."
The penultimate track, 'Sand Paper', sees Cassadee at her most vulnerable as she defiantly tells her lover that they can't change her, and she is her own independent woman, even if it means walking away from a relationship.
"Just because you don't see me the same in your eyes / Doesn't mean I'm not gold, that I lost my shine / And I'm through with all the pretending... Sandpaper keep wearing me down / 'Til I'm just about nothing at all / Heart breaker thought we were falling in love, but real love don't take your soul... / You might've scratched me up good but I ain't bleeding / This is the part where I walk away / You ain't gonna scrape away what's left of me, like sandpaper."
The album's closing track, 'Built This House', is another soul-stirring and evocative track where Cassadee takes stock of what she's been through and what she now ultimately wants out of life. She resolutely declares, "I built this house / From the foundation to the roof / It’s all me baby, blood, sweat, and the truth / Solid ground and weatherproof / I had to tear the old one down / Was living in somebody else’s plans for me / Locked in and I couldn’t find the key / Now it’s wall to wall, all me."
It's a sign of her growing maturity and independence, and the singer herself admitted, "I had a lot of things sort of chosen for me in my life without realizing it... I had to tear my life apart and create a new one. I was able to put together such a fulfilling, sometimes scary, but mostly rewarding life."
As Pope herself admitted, "Rise and Shine is a collection of songs that talk about where I’ve been and where I’m headed," the singer said. "I wanted people to hear these in their purest form so I went with a more stripped-back sound that really lets the lyrics stand out. My hope is that these songs help aid people in feeling every emotion they need to let out."