Priscilla Block: ‘Welcome To The Block Party’ – Album Review

We love a good success story. Country Swag Spotlight alum and 2021 Artist to Watch, Priscilla Block went from TikTok sensation to a major-label artist, and now, the singer-songwriter is celebrating the release of her debut album, out today. Welcome To The Block Party is officially here.

Featuring twelve tracks, the new album is everything we hoped that Block would deliver. According to the songstress, “It has all the trash, all the sass, and all the sad.” She added later in a press release, “I wrote all of these songs from a real and raw place, and I am grateful that I have the opportunity to show various aspects of where I’ve been and who I am.”

After an enticing intro track, the record kicks off with Block’s most recently released song, “My Bar.” An instantaneous hit, “My Bar” is the perfect combination of sassy and raw, a combo that the singer has perfected across the record. Block’s honesty and vulnerability continues on the next two tracks, “Heels In Hand” and “Like A Boy.” On the former, Block normalizes the idea that we can go from happy to sad all in one night, especially when dealing with a toxic relationship. Her relatability is at an all-time high on this track.

Next up, “I Know A Girl,” is one of our favorites on the album. Featuring fellow singer-songwriter, Hillary Lindsey, the song is both about hardship and liberation. In the first verse, Block sings about childhood with lyrics like “I know a girl // who grew up way too fast // in a house made of glass // where things got broken.” Still, in that same verse and in the verse to follow, the singer makes it clear that her hardships made her and definitely did not break her.

“You speed on up to slow back down // That’s just the way the world goes ‘round // It’ll break your heart // It’ll make you think you’ve lost everything // in the kitchen sink // When I’m down and out and when it hurts like hell // I tell myself that I know a girl”

Block continues with the anthemic songs on both “Ever Since You Left” and fan-favorite “Thick Thighs.” Her sassiness is also on full display on “I Bet You Wanna Know,” a song we loved from her debut EP.

On “I’ve Gotten Good,” Block slows it down again, leaning into the more vulnerable and quiet side of her music and songwriting. The song expresses what it’s like to fake feeling better after a rough break-up. “I’ve Gotten Good” is relatable and endearing, while not being too sad.

“Damn, I’ve gotten good // I’m the life of the party // You wouldn’t believe it if you saw me // I’m lookin’ damn good // You could call it the makeup, the glow of the breakup // Whatever I fake up // Yeah, it sure looks like it don’t hurt like it should // Damn, I’ve gotten good”

The next two songs are arguably two of the songs that started it all for Block. Backed by a pop-rock production, Block sings about comparing her ex to the whiskey she’s drinking on “Wish You Were The Whiskey.” Her twangy vocals, mixed with the storytelling aspect of the lyrics, bring the country element to this heart-aching jam.

On Block’s current radio single, “Just About Over You,” the songstress’ vocals are on full display. One of the best on the project, the song shows the singer-songwriter’s vulnerable side. She laments about how it feels to run into an ex before being completely over them.

“Why’d you have to come back in //  right then, right when // I was just getting good and gone? // Guess I was in the wrong place at the wrong time // You must’ve heard I was moving on // Then right out of the blue // a quarter past two // I’m all about you // When I was just about, just about over you // I was just about, just about over you”

The album ends with a song that perfectly ties the entire record together: “Peaked In High School.” The song is a true “victory lap” for Block and anyone who has ever felt like the outcast or like they did not fit in. It is a true embodiment of the singer’s sassiness, intellect, and talent all wrapped in one!

Welcome To The Block Party is everything we hoped it would be and more. Make room for Block in country music because she is not going anywhere! Get to know the singer more in our interview below.

Welcome To The Block Party Tracklist:

1. Welcome To The Block Party (Priscilla Block, Mark Mulch)
2. My Bar (Priscilla Block, Stone Aielli, Lexie Hayden)
3. Heels In Hand (Priscilla Block, Robbie Artress, Josh Beale, Sarah Jones, Kate Hasting)
4. Like A Boy (Priscilla Block, Sarah Jones, Emily Kroll)
5. I Know A Girl (Featuring Hillary Lindsey) (Priscilla Block, David Garcia, Hillary Lindsey)
6. Ever Since You Left (Priscilla Block, Sarah Jones, Josh Kerr)
7. Thick Thighs (Block Party Version) (Priscilla Block, Emily Kroll, Sarah Jones)
8. I Bet You Wanna Know (Priscilla Block, Stone Aielli, Sarah Jones)
9. I’ve Gotten Good (Priscilla Block, Liz Rose, Phil Barton)
10. Wish You Were The Whiskey (Priscilla Block, Sarah Jones, Josh Beale, Kate Hasting)
11. Just About Over You (Radio Edit) (Priscilla Block, Emily Kroll, Sarah Jones)
12. Peaked In High School (Priscilla Block, Josh Beale, Sarah Jones, Kate Hasting)

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