Citation: Wheeler, L. (2022). Birthday card [Album]. Evil King Tree Records. https://open.spotify.com/album/3mR2YlfjN2ovTi4YwUtPaC
After receiving a birthday card from her long-time ex-boyfriend, Wheeler pulled words and phrases from his note and wrote a poetry anthology inspired by them and the feelings receiving the card resurfaced for her. After gaining online notoriety, the poems were used to produce a full album, some using her poems as lyrics, while others were merely inspired by.
Each song is in a slightly different style (mostly folk), not unlike the variety in her poetic forms, which may make for an unsatisfying listening experience for some. The album provides great catharsis, telling stories of love, heartbreak, and recovery.
My favourite tracks were the spoken word pieces (“Pre-Script,” “Voicemail,” and “Post-Script”) but “Monstrosity” and “Stocking Up” are close seconds. The multi-media nature of the album and the meta story can create a unique experience for every listener.