On April 25, American singer-songwriter Jensen McRae released her sophomore album, titled “I Don’t Know How But They Found Me!”
The album will leave fans of McRae’s debut record, “Are You Happy Now,” more than satisfied with a fresh set of the deeply emotive and reflective anthems they’ve been seeking since the latter’s release in March 2022. “I Don’t Know How But They Found Me!” is also bound to captivate newer fans, as it showcases both McRae’s breadth and depth as a songwriter. The album approaches themes of heartbreak and retrospectivity from unique angles — and with unique sounds — on each of its eleven tracks. Together, the songs form a cohesive array of McRae’s vocal and musical powers.
Every once in a while, I encounter an artist whose music transcends the bounds of my Spotify playlist. Their work doesn’t just make me think — it sends me into an intellectual deep-dive. I want to know everything about how they create; how they think, how they lyricize, how they produce, how they deliver. I find myself both absorbed in their discography and replenished with a kind of curiosity that reminds me why I love music in the first place.
That’s precisely where I found myself when I first heard McRae, who possesses a starpower trifecta: she can write, she can sing, and she can perform. Not only that, but she excels in all three categories, making it equal parts fun and powerful to witness her as an artist. McRae beautifully plays into her strength of crafting engrossing, poetic lyrics in “I Don’t Know How But They Found Me!”
The third track, “Savannah,” is a glowing example. Released as the third of three lead singles, it’s a melodical powerhouse that whisks the listener along on a reflective journey with McRae. The chorus lyric “‘cause I see signs from God and I tread lightly on the wire” quickly became one of my all-time favorites of hers.
“Before I got my heart broken, I broke someone else’s heart,” said McRae of “Savannah” in a March 10 Instagram post. “Although the whole experience begged the question: does it count as breaking their heart if they deserved it? If they did something so unspeakable, so unforgivable, that I had no choice but to leave?”
Fans of “Savannah” will be delighted to discover that each track of “I Don’t Know How But They Found Me!” unboxes a similar emotional impact — particularly “Let Me Be Wrong” and lead single “Massachusetts.”
I enjoyed the album on an evening walk, but regardless of how or where you listen, I’d advise you to experience “I Don’t Know How But They Found Me!” uninterrupted and in order. Grab a mug of your favorite tea and a notebook to jot down the vivid feelings McRae will make you rediscover — and don’t forget your tissues for “Tuesday.” Thank me later!
In the wake of her release, McRae’s “Praying For Your Downfall” tour kicked off in Philadelphia on May 3. She is set to perform at locations around the United States and Europe, including a sold-out show in Minneapolis on May 16.
5/5 Big Oles
