Leith Ross’s album To Learn is the kind of music that doesn’t just play in the background, but settles itself in the cracks you may have in your heart; tugging. Tugging at your heartstrings like it’s their own guitar. From the very first track, the album invites listeners into a gentle world built from soft vocals, warm guitar, and honest storytelling. My first listen was several months ago with their single We’ll Never Have Sex, which almost brought me to tears, and is now my favorite song of all time. Listening to the whole album brought back so many memories and had my eyes pouring in my bed. This indie-folk singer can tell their stories in such an emotional manner that hits just right for the people who can unfortunately relate to the album’s heartbroken themes. Leith Ross may not raise their voice often, but the emotional weight behind the album is unmistakable.
Before releasing To Learn in 2023, Leith Ross was already gaining attention online for their soft voice, and diligent, relatable songwriting. Leith Ross first went viral for short acoustic clips posted on social media, attracting listeners who connected with their sincerity and outright amazing storytelling. Leith Ross is an indie-folk singer born in Canada, and while not a “chart-topper”, they’ve built a devoted audience for their intimate storytelling style. To Learn became their “breakout album”, earning praise from critics for its vulnerability and reaching millions of streams within weeks of release. It solidified Leith Ross as one of the most promising new voices in indie music, setting the stage for future performances and releases.
The album, To Learn, is about Leith Ross’s journey of dealing with trauma and learning to love and trust again, battling self-doubt, sexual assault, and harrasment though soft Indie-folk and soft bedroom pop style storytelling. The song I Just Don’t Think You Like Me That Much Anymore stuck out to me the most and still holds a special place in my heart and always will, because at that time, I felt such a connection with the song as it helped me open up my bottled emotions and get ready to move forward.
Some of the strongest tracks on the album include We’ll Never Have Sex, which became popular for its raw honesty and emotional clarity, and Orlando, a gently heartbreaking song about wanting to be seen and understood. Guts is by far the most emotional and hard-hitting song on the album, able to express huge and complicated emotions, such as anger, through soft, respectful, and simple yet endlessly empowering story. Unfortunately, Heartbreak Still Hurts is an overlooked and weaker part of the album, not because it’s bad, but because it blends in a little too quietly with the others.
Overall, this is an underappreciated singer and songwriter, this album is a 10/10. I love and hate that I can relate to their songs so much, but this album in particular has helped me explore my own emotions and help work through my own problems. Sometimes, you are living with a problem and just can’t see it; sometimes you need to see it, or in this case, hear it from a different perspective, to notice its presence. I know Leith Ross would never stumble across this article, but if they ever did, all I would want to say is, thank you.
