You know by now that I more often than not enjoy my coffee rocking hot, but I definitely have a fondness for everything indie and that other kind of rawness it can bring called vulnerability. Sometimes a light pour of sweet oat milk in the darkness of your soul is not that bad, I assure you, and if you’re willing to give it a try, I’ve got the right blend for you.
Australian indie artist Kristina Wilson is releasing her debut album, Dating Broken Boys, on October 4th, produced in collaboration with Ethan Saunders and Ian Mehrle, and it might well convince you to tweak your musical diet for good.
Written in early 2023 in a tiny Forestville studio, the record began as Kristina’s personal outlet and became so much more. A reflection of sorts on how we connect, unravel, and eventually rebuild. “I wanted these songs to be a companion to others, as they had been to me,” Wilson explains. And the universality of the themes it encapsulates makes it exactly just that: a friend whispering in your ear.
It blends the warmth of indie-pop with a storytelling that cuts deep, shifting from soft, haunting ballads to upbeat bops without ever losing its emotional clarity. A raw and yet polished exploration of heartbreak, growth, and the messy beauty of reclaiming yourself after love leaves its scars.
An album full of honest lyricism and aching intimacy but also clarity and full-force confidence.
It opens with Let the Boy Go and a chord progression wrapping around you like a warm embrace, supported by hauntingly beautiful vocals setting the tone for what’s to come. It was fun slams in with a playful, almost mischievous guitar, a total earworm, and the best of the indie pop range – bops and feelings. That bridge outro will 100% steal a smile from you.
Mother Wound comes next and hits you with that line that feels way too relatable: « Never fall for a boy with a mother wound. » Ouch. A truth we all learnt the hard way. Again. And again. Ha. The sweetness of the melody makes it go down easy, but that sting sure lingers.
Dumbitchitis might well be one of my new favourite words. The drums flutter like a nervous heart before marching into confident resolution. This song is not about that disease we’ve all fallen for eventually, it’s the recipe for its cure. Full-on empowerment.
Other standouts include Great in Bed, where tender melodies mask a disguised anger, and the vulnerable vocals bring clarity. Oh, Kristina’s not raging, no – she’s just done, and that cut way deeper than any scream. Follows What Girls Want, a song that feels like a supportive friend lifting you back up. Garden Alone, the latest single, showcases the album’s essence beautifully: soaring piano, intimate vocals, and, between the lines, a promise of healing. Lessons will definitely make you reflect and leave you sitting with yourself a little longer than expected.
Who They Are closes everything with a ghostly elegance. The production haunts, airy and unresolved, leaving the questions dangling in the air. No finite answers, but the ones you want to hear. The record ends like heartbreak itself: haunting but strangely comforting.
A pretty solid debut album all around and well worth a listen. Kristina manages to turn personal scars into shared songs and crafts a tender soundtrack that will hold your hand if you’re still learning how to heal and let go from these situationships we all go through. A record that lingers and reminds you that vulnerability can sound a lot like strength.
Dating Broken Boys will be available on October 4th on all major streaming platforms, and you can pre-save it now. Fans can also look forward to upcoming live shows, merch, and physical releases that will bring Dating Broken Boys beyond the studio and into the world.
