Hit Like a Girl - Burning at Both Ends
- Samuel Stevens
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
On their fourth studio album, Burning at Both Ends, Nicolle Maroulis pushes Hit Like a Girl into their most collaborative—and arguably most fully realized—era yet. Out March 27, 2026, via Cryptid Records, the record feels like both a culmination of everything the project has explored since You Make Sense (2017) and a bold step forward shaped by the chemistry of a now-solidified live lineup, including Mol White and Mike Davis.
From the outset, Burning at Both Ends leans into contrast—tenderness and volatility, intimacy and catharsis, polished synth-pop textures colliding with jagged emo grit. It’s an album that thrives in that tension, never settling for one emotional register when it can inhabit several at once.
The early singles make that immediately clear. “Keepsake Theory” bursts open with a thunderous urgency, pairing shimmering synths with serrated guitar work from Jacob Blizard. Maroulis’s vocal performance is gripping—equal parts accusation and ache—as they dissect the absence of tangible memories in a relationship that clearly meant more to them than it did to the other person. It’s the kind of song that feels tailor-made for late-night drives and crowded basement shows alike.
“Only Have Myself” sharpens that emotional blade even further. Built around a driving rhythm section and a slow-burning intensity, it unpacks the fallout of a polyamorous relationship gone wrong. The repeated, screamed refrain lands like a breaking point—raw, unresolved, and painfully honest. It’s one of the album’s most devastating moments, not because it’s loud, but because it refuses to offer easy closure.
Still, Burning at Both Ends isn’t all emotional wreckage. “Are You In Love?” featuring Zayna Youssef of the emo rock band Sweet Pill, injects a refreshing sense of lightness. The track leans into '80s and '90s-inspired synth pop, with buoyant melodies and intertwined vocals that capture the fragile excitement of new romance. It’s playful without feeling disposable—a reminder that joy, too, can be complex.
That balance continues on “Once and For All (I Gotta Forget You),” which channels the spirit of early 2010s DIY scenes. There’s a communal, almost nostalgic energy here—the kind of song that feels destined to echo back from a crowd. Beneath its infectious hooks, though, lies a narrative of self-preservation, with Maroulis framing the act of letting go as both painful and necessary.
Deeper cuts like “Requiem For a Friend,” “Romanticize,” and “Funeral Collage” round out the album’s emotional arc, exploring grief, memory, and how one can reshape past relationships to survive them. These tracks lean more into atmosphere, allowing space for reflection while still maintaining the melodic sensibility that defines Hit Like a Girl’s sound.
Sonically, the album pulls from a wide palette—midwest emo, indie rock, synth pop, and even flashes of hardcore—but none of which ever feels disjointed. Instead, it mirrors the unpredictability of the experiences it documents. Fans of Tigers Jaw, The Anniversary, and Rainer Maria will find familiar touchstones, but Burning at Both Ends ultimately carves out its own identity through its specificity and emotional clarity.
What makes this record stand out most, though, is its perspective. Maroulis continues to center queer and trans experiences without softening their edges, offering narratives that feel both deeply personal and widely resonant. There’s no attempt to universalize by diluting the details—instead, the album trusts that honesty will do the work.
In that sense, Burning at Both Ends lives up to its title. It’s an album fueled by intensity—creative, emotional, and collaborative—and while it often dwells in the aftermath of heartbreak, it never feels defeated. If anything, it’s a testament to endurance: the kind that comes from feeling everything fully and choosing to keep going anyway.