Keen Garrity Explores Self-Growth & Ego Through Narratives In Her Album ‘Get Big’

Every track has its own story

Photo: PR courtesy

Hailing from Knoxville, Tennessee, Keen Garrity is a multi-talented songwriter and producer who uses music to tell stories. Coming from a musical household, Garrity started out as the frontwoman for the indie band Ward of the Mayor, but has decided to launch her solo endeavor. She released her debut album Get Big back in January of this year and it’s a mythological journey where she introduces us to a new character in each song, tackling themes of self-growth and identity.

The opener “Shotgun” introduces us to the inner negative persona we all carry around and won’t leave us. It’s an upbeat alternative pop piece that channels the restlessness and despair of having a “parasitic twin” as Keen labels it. “Casting You Out” has the edgy rhythmic structure of rock, but uses minimalistic use of percussions to let Keen’s voice be the driving force. In “Walkabout / Stroll On,” Keen takes off with soft croons that takes a completely unexpected direction – think of eerie pop with a small splash of 80s flair.

In “Broken One,” Keen tells us a story of two characters whose mutual pain and helplessness unite them. It’s indie pop that exhibits soothing melancholia channeling a form of defeat. In “Get Big,” Keen develops a bold female character in a tall tale form using Americana elements. The stomping riffs and striking chords add a rawness to the melody that capture the vibe of the character. In “Gold Digger,” she takes us on a Spaghetti West adventure by introducing us to an antiheroine living in wilderness. It’s a seamless blend of country and indie that capture the cinematic ambience of old western movies.

The penultimate piece “What You Put In It” is a propulsive piece weaved with razor-like chords where Keen’s throbbing vocals capture every living being’s hustling relationship with fate and misfortunes. The last piece “Statuesque” is an upbeat ride where Keen narrates the story of a statue that experiences its majestic, ego-boosting beginning but eventually meets its eroding end. With this final message, Keen wraps up the record and reminds us of the inevitable change we all face at some point in our lives. And while the characters in these songs feel hyperbolic at times, they teach us lessons of our own nature.