On the title track of her new album, Christina Schneider professes: "I just cannot take these local shows."
The Georgia-based singer-songwriter nearly quit music in 2018. "If they're not even going to listen, then I'm f--king done," she thought to herself after an especially thankless performance. But on Personalia, the latest record from Schneider project Locate S,1, she pries her way out of the DIY world and stakes her claim in the modern pop sphere. The album sees Schneider embark on a mission to reconcile with her own self-worth, the kind that's not validated by strangers at gigs with their eyes glued to their phones. Personalia depicts the journey to self-worth in its truest, most organic form, without censoring the bumps in the road to inner peace.
Across Personalia, there's a fusion of notable influences: the glimmer of ABBA and Hounds of Love-era Kate Bush; the spunk of '80s girl groups like the Go-Go's; and the experimental oddities of bands like Animal Collective and of Montreal (the latter's frontman, Kevin Barnes, produced Personalia). With this grab-bag of reference points, Schneider finds a cultivated brand of pop entirely her own, and Personalia scans as a well-read piece of work rather than an imitation of any one predecessor. Tracks like "Even the Good Boys are Bad" and "Sanctimitus Detrimitis" gallop with buoyant basslines and eccentric instrumentation, while others like "Whisper 2000" take a more traditional indie rock approach with a driving guitar.
Personalia handles subjects of growth and rebuilding oneself with sharp, poetic imagery. On the title track, Schneider weaponizes her anxieties about being a musician and puts a more confident foot forward: "I'm just some punk who really thought I'd be someone," she cries. "But if I play long enough / I'll become the person that I wanna be again." "After the Final Rose" criticizes the methodical glam of reality TV fame, while "Hello" zooms out to evaluate Schneider's own perceived insignificance: "Hello whole world, I'm lost too / Hello whole world, I have nothing to give to you." Fame can be frustratingly arbitrary, Schneider seems to argue, and when many of the world's most famous people have so little to offer, what's the point of trying to work your way to the top?
But despite its wavering air of doubt, Personalia overall feels triumphant, the soundtrack of an artist paving a road for new beginnings. In all her musical idiosyncrasies, Schneider emblemizes growth and learning throughout the process; Locate S,1 is her outlet to keep moving forward.
Personalia is out now on Captured Tracks.
Personalia