A love crusade worth going on.

“When I was 27 I crushed a lot. I wasn’t sure I’d ever fall in love again. These songs were written and recorded in private around this time.‰”

Karen O has been known for her loud and vibrant persona in the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, but in “Crush Songs,‰” she sheds her usually tough exterior for a more intimate retrospective on love and life. Karen O slows down on the album, her voice delicately whispering tunes accompanied by soft guitar chords. These bedroom recordings are vulnerable to the point of heartbreaking, a lo-fi, bittersweet take on such a grandiose topic.

The songs are short and simple, with each one under 3 minutes, just enough time to give the listener a snippet of what O is going through. The simple nature of “Crush Songs‰” makes Karen O‰’s message seem more genuine.

Recommended: 3, 4, 6
RIYL: Cat Power, War Paint, Sharon Van Etten, The Moon Song from Her