In the digital age, playlists have become the public’s music consumption method of choice. The days of buying an artist’s latest record, listening to it all the way through, or even on repeat, are long gone. Today, most of us hit shuffle on a playlist and listen to music handpicked for us by an algorithm. We are more likely to listen to singular, disconnected tunes in succession than a balanced body of work. As a result, it can feel like the modern music industry focuses on creating standalone hits over longer, more cohesive projects. Singer-songwriter Dhruv’s latest album ‘Private Blizzard’, however, is a dynamic, purposefully crafted reminder that nothing beats a well-curated album. 

I am a big believer that the experience of listening to a great album from front to back is unmatched. An impressive album is not just a collection of catchy melodies, but an auditory journey. While its songs should hold their own, they should also work better as a unit, building off one another to leave us with a sense of growth or change. ‘Private Blizzard’ achieves this on a sonic and thematic level, taking us through Dhruv’s reflections on a love lost.

The album opener, ‘Ode to Boredom’, ropes us in with a lively staccato piano sequence that is anything but boring. This piano opens and closes almost every track of the album, acting as our guide to Dhruv’s voyage through heartbreak. 

As Dhruv sings about feelings of loneliness and stagnation, the track builds with multi-layered harmonies, a bright snare, and a brass section. The song successfully establishes the album’s sound, bringing a lighthearted, funky flair reminiscent of Tom Misch. This sound is a refreshing divergence from his previous works which, while moving, Dhruv himself described as more “clean cut.”

Dhruv’s vulnerable lyricism and groovy melodies are a throughline in the first half of ‘Private Blizzard’, propelling us forward until we reach the album’s more sombre middle section. 

Track 5, ‘Grieving’, is a soulful ballad that hits hard for anyone who has experienced true, transformative love. This song is about the type of love that fundamentally changes you, and how losing a lover also means losing parts of yourself.  Halfway through the song, Dhruv’s vocals fade to silence only to rebuild with an echoing, “Better alone, I know I’m better alone.” Dhruv’s adlibs display a level of vocal prowess I didn’t expect of him, proving him to be a solid songwriter and singer alike. 

The album bounces back to its upbeat, percussive sound with Track 7, ‘Speed of Light’. Dhruv’s fun pettiness in this song is a refreshing change of pace that brings us into a new phase of the album– one where Dhruv is slowly, but surely, healing. (You know you’re healing when you hit block instead of rock bottom.)

This is not to say that the rest of the album is all sunshine and rainbows. Reflective of the true healing process, the album’s narrative is not linear. And yet, it's clear that Dhruv’s ruminations through the album are moving him forward. His honest discussion of these ups and downs resonates with anyone who has had their heart broken without needing to rely on generalizations or cliches. As a result, the cheery love song ‘One and Only’ is a triumphant end to the album. It’s a hopeful ode to his next love, bringing us full circle from ‘Private Blizzard’s’ freshly heartbroken beginnings. 

‘Private Blizzard’ is an impressive debut album that shows considerable artistic growth from Dhruv’s first project, ‘rapunzel’. While we, like the rest of the world, loved his viral hits ‘double take’ and ‘moonlight’, there is no denying Dhruv has matured as a writer and vocalist. Give ‘Private Blizzard’ a listen here: 

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