Whoever broke Kelly Zutrau’s heart, that pain runs 11 songs deep. Throughout the entire album Don’t You, the lead singer constantly parallels relationships and bonding with mental and physical self-destruction. The dreamy synth-pop sound, accompanied by an almost waterfallesque keyboard, has the feel of late 90’s pop and minimalist R&B. However, these tracks aren’t the ones that recapture the late 90’s and make the listener feel a sense of nostalgia, they’re not those that are vintage or retro cool. Zutrau is overcome with ambivalence as she expresses her longing for a healthy relationship and utter loneliness, resulting in the edgeless, clean-cut 11 song romance poem.
Don’t You is the album you should go to if you’re looking for a subtler way to get over a breakup or maybe to indulge yourself in a little self-pity, outside of your Taylor Swift obsession. “When you say you love me, baby, let me see your face,” Zutrau demands on the track “It’s All in Vein”, which would seem to be a simple request if you’re committed in a relationship, but Zutrau’s sense of desperation is embedded in the repeating lyrical theme. However, aside from simple-minded feeling, Zutrau has always done a great job of leaving the audience feeling apart of her private life, which is something that you do not see in a lot of pop music. The listener has many opportunities to enter Zutrau’s quiet thoughts, which makes the album extremely personal and comforting to those who are experiencing the same feelings of uncertainty.
Don’t You is also an album filled with contradictions and the best example of this is in “Don’t Wanna Be Your Girl”, where the audience gets a sense of two different feelings one song. “I don’t wanna be your girl no more, I just wanna see your face at home,” Zutrau expresses her intense indifference that is mostly internal. The track “You’re the Best” is another example of Zutrau’s ambivalence; in a sense, the lyrics do not even need to be explained for the listener, Wet’s contradictions are very obvious. There is an overwhelmingly obvious theme of complex desire to Don’t You, and although this concept is entirely competent, there is not a distinct voice make it more engaging to the listener. However, the album does build confidence in the end. The album ends with the song “These Days”, which is the most vulnerable track of the entire album. The piano melody captures the raw feeling of desperation and Zatrau’s power of voice pushes through.