Flowery, raw, survivalist songwriting blooms on today’s LP premiere, It Leaves Stains by Ciderdown. The album, created by Boston artist Marissa Fritz, is a nine-song-long glimpse into her mind, or more specifically, into what the artist describes as a lone box within an attic. An accompanying zine contains lyrics, images, and musings about the songs on It Leaves Stains. In those lyrics and musings, Fritz doesn’t shy away from talking about ugly things like trauma, denial, and festering wounds; and she doesn’t let those experiences own the album, or herself. “This is an album born of healing,” she explains. It Leaves Stains goes on to cover manipulation through metaphor, philosophical outlooks through poem, and finally rebirth through reflection.

Gentle guitar pluckings, Fritz’s lilting voice, and what sounds like a glockenspiel kick off the album’s first track, “Ophelia in the River.” In her zine, Fritz deliberates over the one-dimensionality of Ophelia in Hamlet. She ponders Ophelia’s pure and selfless nature, her existence as a pawn in a political scheme, and her offstage death. Finally, she decided that Ophelia is “Waiting to be seen for what she suffered, waiting for us to hold someone accountable for the loss of her. She is still waiting.” 

This song opens the album like some Pandora’s box. Particularly haunting and beautiful, “Hands On You” lands third in line. In it, Fritz shows how she can emote through her spectacular vocals, including a self-made, harmonic choir during the chorus. Similarly, a few songs later on the moody and metaphorical “One of those things,” she displays so much power in that first verse with low notes. Does anyone else remember when Lizzy Grant made the octave change that became Lana Del Rey? It’s like that.

It Leaves Stains does an especially great job at intertwining theme and metaphor. Three of the nine tunes tap into female literary characters to evoke the artist’s experiences of being in a manipulative relationship: that strange desire to please, partnered with feeling constantly betrayed. She crafts vivid scenes with poetic imagery, putting her own vulnerability on full display. Perhaps the strongest example of this appears on “Valentine’s Day,” a song that sounds like it marks a decided end to these detrimental patterns. The writer pulls out a dusty, old box containing an ugly organ, examines the trauma that lay within, and ends the song with an affirmative repetition: “I want me.” 

But there’s much more to hear about Ciderdown’s It Leaves Stains; in the accompanying zine Fritz graciously writes about how first using metaphor, then reflection in her songwriting opened up chasms of truths on this album. Listen closely, and you will hear her healing. 

Don’t miss Ciderdown’s album release show this weekend on Saturday, September 21st at Midway Cafe (21+). Catch David Rabinowicz, Dav Blues, and Jakals opening. Get your tickets here or $10 at the door. Listen to It Leaves Stains via bandcamp below.