Today, Rachel Platten dropped her second studio album, Waves.  Like her first album, Wildfire, there’s not a bad song on it.  However, while all of the songs are relateble in some fashion, not all of them are anthems this time around.  In an interview with The Today Show this morning – during which she also performed – Rachel said “I was so honest with these songs.”

And It shows.  Most of the songs are upbeat, as usual, but they’re also more edgy and sensual, which is different, but not unwelcome.  Her experiments paid off.  The lyrics are emotionally raw – almost to the point of making someone cry.  She wrote down what she was feeling, not stopping until she was done.  And those words transformed into 13 songs.

Rachel was also able to showcase her vocal range.  She can go from high pitch to deep, and then back to normal.  Sometimes all in one song.

This is only the second studio album of what is sure to be a very long and successful career.