Review: "Ohio Song" - Julia Campbell
- Tessa Maddaloni
- Jul 25
- 2 min read
After a 2.5 year hiatus from creating new music, Julia Campbell shares “Ohio Song” with the world, a classic track about breakups from her upcoming EP “Sick of Staying”. She finds ways to make even the most common metaphors for breakups her own, like train wrecks and car crashes, highlighting her lyricism and emotional ties to this situation. This song tells the story of their relationship and the fallout, how every time she sees an Ohio license plate she can't help but think of her ex lover. The ups and downs, the stupid fights and new haircuts, how even though they knew they were not right for each other they could just not stay away.
Despite the melancholic tone to Campbell’s voice, the soundscape of this song is an indie pop vibe, with a strong bass line guiding the story along. Her voice is breathy and soft, similar to old Gracie Abrams and Maisie Peters. In the chorus, she sings, “Damn we were a train wreck waiting to happen / Everybody saw us go off the tracks and / You still couldn’t say it / Guess it’s easier just staying”. She recounts drunken arguments, comparing them also to a car crash, to the impact of air bags, saying that they should have just dropped it when they had the chance. The bridge feels like a whirlwind of emotions and instruments, similar to the chaos in Campbell’s mind in regards to this mess of an ending.
Julia Campbell is a Pennsylvania born singer-songwriter, currently based in Los Angeles. She started teaching herself how to play the guitar at only fourteen, but her love for music began much earlier than that. She remembers sitting in her carseat jamming out to Avril Laigne, listening to her mother “dissect Joni Mitchell lyrics”, and learning the Monkees from her father’s CD. Music was her upbringing, and she quickly found it to be an outlet for emotions and storytelling. With various singles released in her career, she creates her own strong sound and vibe, integrating herself into the LA music scene and performing all around the city. Make sure to follow the social medias before for more music from Julia Campbell, and stay tuned for the release of her EP “Sick of Staying”.
Written By Tessa Maddaloni
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