“Inside Voices / Outside Voices” by K.Flay

K.Flay explores the tension between thoughts and actions in her newest album, “Inside Voices / Outside Voices”

Byline: Jun Lin

K.Flay’s “Inside Voices / Outside Voices” combines her two 2021 EPs into a single story.

Rock influences, from pop-punk (“Dating my Dad” featuring Travis Barker), nu-metal (“TGIF” featuring Tom Morello), to indie (“I’m Afraid of the Internet”), round out the album’s cohesiveness while avoiding too much similarity across the twelve tracks. The additional songs on the album, “The Muck” and “Good to Drive,” fulfill their functions as transitional and closing pieces.

The first half of the album comes from “Inside Voices,” and its brash, buzzing instrumentals will drive the listener through five songs before they even know it. Her lyrics are irreverent, representing her desire to “say things I’ve been keepin’ inside.” This line comes from “Four Letter Words,” the opening song, and it sums up the album's overarching theme.

The second half shows listeners the public, verbal version of K.Flay. The “Outside Voices” portion is laid back with acoustic guitar and piano instrumentals. It does not boast any featuring artists, and its relaxed rhythms slow its pace. This section is quieter, less loud, but if you lean in and listen carefully, the lyrical content is still emotive and true to K.Flay herself.

K.Flay’s inside voice is unapologetic, while her outside voice is communicated through filters of society, self-doubt, and outside influences. However, comparing its softer edge to the previous half of the album illustrates each section’s strengths and weaknesses. The two halves complement each other, and one cannot exist without the other.