Hit Me Hard and Soft is that kind of album that doesn't try to impress by excess, and that's precisely why it impresses so much. Billie delivers a very cohesive, very intimate work, which seems made more to be felt than simply heard. You can clearly see how she and Finneas think every detail as part of a whole, they are not songs played there, it is a complete experience. It's a silent album in several moments, but it speaks loudly emotionally. He doesn't need to scream to hurt. The only point that really discourages is the duration. There are only 10 tracks and when you realize it's over. It's frustrating because the universe she creates is so engaging that you want to stay in there. It seems too short for such a strong album. But at the same time, maybe that's exactly what makes him so striking: he doesn't stretch, he doesn't get lost, there's nothing left. Even though it is compact, it delivers intensity, vulnerability and maturity. It's Billie being Billie at the purest level. One of the most beautiful and sensitive works of her career.
Notable tracks: Skinny, Birds of a Feather, Wildflower, The Greatest and L'amour de Ma Vie
