“Do I want to save the world or just cut out its insides?”

The third time really is the charm for Tancred. Songwriter Jess Abbott (also of Now, Now) has delivered an album stocked full of indie-grunge guitar, tales of self-empowerment and introspection, and bittersweet vocals. Out of the Garden was designed for those nights where you lay on your bed contemplating all those 3am thoughts you have about life, set to gritty riffs and lyrics that could be taken out of your personal diary. Who needs to sleep when you’ve got deep thoughts and good music to unravel right from your stereo?

Abbott writes about her own experiences about working a shitty job and being tangled up in relationships from a very candid point of view, often questioning herself in lines like “do I sink or swim? I don’t really know”, which adds an endearing and relatable quality. Her soft vocals mark a sharp contrast to the 90s grunge-esque guitars and bring to mind Sonic Youth, sparking an involuntary wave of teenage angst and nostalgia. The sounds on the album aren’t particularly distinct so it takes a few listens for the songs to really take hold, but they don’t distract from the lyrics which are the true highlight.

By the end of the album you’ll fully understand the line, “This is how we learn to be happy / this is how we learn the hard way”–because each song is a thought process, a learning curve, and a way of understanding life. So if you listen to this record enough, maybe you’ll learn something too.

Buy it, Stream it, or Skip it?: Stream it–you’ll need it to keep you company on those sleepless nights when you ask questions only Tancred can answer.