Forming in 2013, The Beaches are an all-girl Rock group from Canada, featuring Jordan Miller, lead vocals and guitar, her sister, Kylie Miller on guitar and backing vocals, Leandra Earl on Keyboard and Eliza Enman keeping everyone in time on drums. The energetic quad released their crashing sixth album ‘Blame My Ex’ in 2024, taking on the roller-coaster of emotions that come after a breakup.
Jordan had previously been dating Brett Emmons, singer of The Glorious Sons and when their three-year relationship broke off, it was convenient that Emmon’s first name only has one syllable, all the more convenient to write into a song. Despite Miller being on good terms with her ex, the first track ‘Blame Brett’ dives straight in – ‘Done being the sad girl, I’m done dating Rockstars’, backed by slinky guitars and a thumping drumbeat, making it impossible not to listen, the sound continues to thicken with a typical bouncy indie rock energy. Expressing a familiar feeling after a heartbreak ‘I’m only in it for the sex, that’s why I’m never gonna love again.’ Its self-aware, unapologetic yet vulnerable at the same time, despite the lyrics ‘that’s why I won’t get vulnerable, don’t you dare get comfortable.’ Suggesting that all the reckless behaviour being planned is coming from a place of not just self-empowerment, getting under someone to get over someone, but also from a place of hurt, but, don’t blame her, blame Brett.
The old saying goes What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger’ but The Beaches disagree, ‘What Doesn’t Kill You Makes You Paranoid.’ The song starts off with an exposed sound, just guitar and vocals, highlighting more vulnerability. It’s the crash after the breakup, ‘write up the minutes of my inner voice, she likes to bring up all my issues, God she’s a bitch.’ Shining a light on the grieving stage before being able to move on ‘I don’t mean to reminisce’. The guitars break in in a ball of fuzz and reverb along with the rest of the band at the chorus and the harmonies throughout between the sisters are light and angelic.
‘Me & Me’ comes out the other side, more energetic and excited, our protagonist has come to realise that she enjoys her own company and how powerful that can be. It stares down society’s opinions on single women ‘everybody’s gotta find somebody // you don’t wanna end up like a sad spinster’ and doesn’t back down. connecting the feminist theme that runs through the album, appearing again in ‘Everything is Boring’. This song reminds me of how creative block feels ‘it’s like nothing thrills me’. The relatability of ‘I was thinking about girls, supporting other girls then I woke up in a meeting with a bunch of random dudes telling me what I should do’ spans throughout the world, in both the personal and business lives of so many women.
The next track takes it down a notch, slower and more relaxed, it’s a sultry expression on desire ‘I wanna be your bitch, I wanna taste your spit.’ The melody is a simple rise and fall of the guitar section with a very subtle screech hidden amongst the track and a steady rhythm section. From listening to the rest of the album, I was surprised to hear a male voice, featuring Nick Santino of Beach Weather, his soft vocals fit well with Miller’s but the lyrics are questionable, ‘its so sleazy, please don’t delete me’ the back and forth, almost sexting dynamic of the song put me in the mindset that if someone said something to me like that while I was trying to get hot and heavy, it would make me cringe. This could very well of been intentional, giving the song an organic feel but overall, Santino doesn’t bring anything vital to the song and it would have been just as good without his verse. I feel similarly about ‘Kismet’ it’s a pop song in the rock grass, lots of ooohhh-ing and ahhhh-ing with clap beats, it doesn’t live up to the rest of the album, maybe would have been better as a single so it didn’t stick out like a sore thumb. Unfortunately, ‘Shower Beer’ is only slightly better, the just isn’t much substance this trio and they fall flat.
The next track is my favourite and bought me back into the album. Both Earl and Jordan and proudly queer, Earl said in one interview addressing ‘Edge of The Earth’ – ‘It was very important for me to have a queer song on this album // being mainly a rock band in Canada it’s a very straight, male dominated audience, its kind of scary to put something out like that.’ It’s a brave and beautiful song about being unsure if you’re a good fit for the person you love ‘I’m a rockstar, and I’m never around when you need’ but being confident the you’re meant to be together ‘wherever we end, we’ll come right back.’ The pronouns she/her used throughout making it a song by a girl, to a girl that some audiences aren’t familiar with. The soaring guitar solo breaks up the vocals without being too over the top for the romantic, but still undeniably a rock song.
‘If a Tree Falls’ is the opposite of the last track, written 2 weeks after McDaniels went through a breakup herself, its another song that hits the band on a personal level. If tree falls in the woods and there’s no on there to hear it, does it really fall? In this case, yes it does, ‘But I heard it, and I hate it.’ It feels like a set back on our character’s journey, demonstrating how emotions can be winding roads.
We end the album on a more hopeful note. ‘Cigarette’ is another queer song, using she/her pronouns throughout much like ‘Edge of the Earth’. Its bounce expresses the excitement felt when meeting someone new ‘she said I’m femme // come back and tell me what that means. also suggests the singer is finding out something new about themselves too. It has all the yearning lust as most of the songs in the album. It leaves us happy for our character, after everything she’s been through, I think she’ll be just fine.
The Beaches have given their audience an album that is nothing if not relatable, if you’ve ever experienced heartbreak, had wild nights out with your mates or explored your sexuality, there’s something in here for you. It’s also a looking glass into the band’s own personal lives. The music is simple yet effective and successfully portrays all the emotions covered. It trips and loses its way in the middle but comes back fighting strong at the finish line. It was my most played album of April 2025 with its addictive riffs. Their new album, No Hard Feelings is set to be released later this year and I’m genuinely looking forward to it.