“I-i-it’s you!” April Harper Gray of underscores sings as the opening line to her 3rd studio album, “U,” released Mar 20. The opening track “Tell Me (U Want It)” immediately made me excited for the album with the heavy breathing and dinging of bells leading into a calm chorus and becoming more extreme with each passing minute, adding more sound effects and layered vocals. 

In the chorus, Gray sings, “Is this doing anything for you, baby? / You gotta tell me you want it, tell me you want it,” introducing the motif of love throughout the entire album and the many forms that it takes on. 

Upon first listening, this was my favorite song due to the catchy lyrics and sound effects that all align with one another, with whistles leading into muffled and pitched down vocals at the end as she sings “I-O-U,” a repeated element in the rest of the album. 

The second track of the album “Music,” was the first single, released on Jun 27, 2025. This track once again speaks about love with another person, but does so by using the metaphor of music. In sharing a love for another person, Gray also shares her love of music. 

She sings, “When I’m with you, it feels like music / It’s happening again, I feel the BPM, I feel the music” in the chorus, and this song follows in suit of the others on the album as they slowly build to a drop with more extreme vocals. 

This makes each song feel like a rollercoaster, as if you are perpetually awaiting the next drop, falling in love with each part and how they come together as a whole. 

The rollercoaster does not end in “Hollywood Forever” as this song has two separate drops that lead to the song becoming more dramatic and layered.

However, “The Peace” did not follow this same pattern and instead remained more consistent and calm, allowing the vocals to shine more. The vocalization and somewhat acapella aspect of this song absolutely drew me in, as it is not something I often hear. 

This song speaks of love but through the experience of smoking with another person as a form of connection. Gray sings “I don’t speak unless I’m spoken to / And I don’t smoke unless you’re smoking too,” conveying intimacy within sharing an experience with someone you love. 

“Innuendo (I Get U)” has become my favorite song on the whole project. With its breathy vocals and repetition of the lyrics “Tell me, but don’t tell me,” this is the track I find myself coming back to most. 

Additionally, the most intense drop of the album takes place in this song as the drums pick up and carry the second half of the song, making this a great track to dance to. 

One spot that underscores does not lack in throughout the entirety of this album is a killer bridge that at times proves to be more catchy and alluring than the chorus. 

This is true for “Bodyfeeling,” as in the beginning of the song, I am almost bored by the calm bassline, but per usual, the rollercoaster takes another drop as the drums ramp up and she begins to sing with more passion: “What makes you think, I can’t still love you?” The same thing can be said of “Lovefield,” as the entire song is on a gradual incline to eventually reach a drop. 

“Do It” was the track that made me become hooked on underscores. The song sounds like a keyboard smash of noise in the best way possible as the introduction builds and leads to the melding of both acoustic guitar and electronic sounds, only possible when created by a computer.  

The changing of pitch in the vocals as well as the catchy lyrics left this song on repeat for weeks, awaiting the release of “U.” “Do It” continues with the theme of love, but shifts from a desire of craving one to tell her that they want it, and rather urging them to stay away because “I don’t fall in love.” 

The final track, “Wish U Well” was a bit lackluster to me upon first listening, and I would often skip it when returning to this project. However, it serves as the perfect closing track of the album as it is much more tame than the rest. 

After speaking of the craziness that love can cause, from needing your partner to tell you that they want you, or giving a warning that you don’t fall in love, this track closes the chapter as Gray ultimately wishes them well forever.