The Child (2025)
Geowulf’s third record, The Child, is Geowulf’s most personal work yet. Star Kendrick has since, amicably, split from friend and collaborator Toma Banjanin, and has released her first solo outing as Geowulf. She has shed the glossy shimmer of the earlier dreamy psych-pop and has handed us her heart on a warm, more analog platter. This record leans heavily on acoustic textures and “more” subtle production, inviting us into a quieter, more intimate soundscape. But don’t mistake “intimate” for boring or stripped back—this record has plenty of punch where it counts. The Child swaps the beach and pool parties for a bonfire under the stars: quieter, sure, but with so much more depth. It is an intimate and introspective collection of songs that sees Star Kendrick stepping into a more personal, vulnerable space than ever before, taking us on a journey through motherhood, family, and self-reflection.
Dreaming opens the record with a soft, acoustic embrace. It’s warm, earthy and captures Kendrick grappling with the tension between career ambitions and motherhood. “If I could let myself dream, would anybody stop me?” she asks, reflecting on the societal pressures that often force women to choose between their passions and parenting. It’s a dazed lullaby of a track, rich in questions. Gone is the overt euphoria of Geowulf’s earlier work, replaced with a gentle, almost meditative dreaminess.
Then there’s Memory Serves Like Lightning, which gets stuck in your head in the best way possible. The melody is subtle yet infectious, with a tangible vulnerability. It’s the kind of song that sneaks up on you emotionally; quick like lightning.
Can’t Read Your Mind pulls no punches lyrically, digging into the frustration and confusion of navigating relationships: “Cause I can’t do this again, I can’t read your mind”. The track is delicate and direct, with a grand production contrasting its emotional rawness, making everything work cohesively. You can almost feel the catharsis here—it’s poppy and uplifting, but with a heavy dose of truth and relatability.
Stay Baby brings back some of that classic Geowulf trademark sound with dynamic tempo and tonal shifts and a fuller production style. It’s a gentle reminder that while Kendrick is evolving, she hasn’t forgotten what made the earlier records resonate so deeply. Stay Baby is written from the perspective of Kendrick’s own mother. The song imagines what her mother might have felt during pregnancy, creating a touching character study that feels deeply personal yet universally resonant.
Dolly is the crown jewel of this record—one of those rare tracks where everything just clicks. Everything about this track-from its intimate production to its revealing lyrics—fire on all cylinders. It’s so perfect, so vulnerable, and so unforgettable that it earned a nomination in my Wolfys Song of the Year list last year. After each and every listen, I find myself falling more and more in love with this song.
Angry is another standout, balancing acoustic dream pop with an intensely relatable emotional core. It’s haunting and raw, with a vulnerability that lingers long after the song ends.
Beer To Bed (Time To Kill) is pure magic. The melody is surreal. It’s the kind of track that’s a dreamy ode to love, floating effortlessly on soft, shimmering production and a dreamy cloudscape. It’s quintessential Geowulf but stripped of any artifice, leaving only honesty and beauty behind.
Unsay It All leans into the tension of fractured relationships, tackling the painful aftermath of unspoken words and miscommunication. Its theme—“don’t tell me things unless you mean them”—is delivered with synths that bounce and hop, adding an almost ironic backdrop to the song’s emotional weight.
Something Good slows things down with a piano-driven ballad that aches like a plea for peace. The lyrics are a cry for release from toxicity, with Kendrick’s vocals carrying all the weight of someone desperate to break free. It’s raw, softly anthemic, and guaranteed to have crowds singing it back live.
Nightmare feels like a bridge between old and new Geowulf, blending the shimmering dream pop of the first two records with the acoustic vulnerability of this one. The track twinkles like a star-studded night sky and soars with all the energy of a fleeting daydream.
Hungry For My Heart is quite poetic lyrically. It starts delicately, almost hesitantly, before building into a climactic explosion of harmonies and militaristic snares. It’s all about the art of the slow build, rewarding your patience with a something grand.
The album closes with its title track, The Child, a fitting culmination of the album’s themes, wrapping up this introspective journey with lush harmonies and dreamy production. It brings the record to a serene, reflective end, feeling like the natural conclusion to the journey Kendrick took us through. However, it’s not a definitive ending—it’s more of an ellipsis, leaving room for whatever comes next in Kendrick’s life and career.
Written largely while Kendrick was six months pregnant, The Child emerged from a period of immense transition and self-reflection. Kendrick had to take stock of her life, making difficult decisions about her future while processing the past. “When I was writing about relationship stuff and romance, it was important,” she explained to Diggers Factory, “but it was also kind of a bandaid—I was essentially distracting myself by writing about failures and fuckboys.” On The Child, Kendrick strips away that veil of distraction, digging into what truly matters.
Geowulf’s transformation from a dreamy indie duo to a more introspective solo project marks a bold new era for Star Kendrick. The Child isn’t just an album—it’s a deeply personal statement of growth, resilience, and self-discovery. The Child is confident and unflinchingly honest. It’s an album that doesn’t pretend to have all the answers, but instead finds power in asking the questions and allows you to feel normal not having all of the answers. It’s a record that invites you to slow down, lean in, and really listen. And when you do, you’ll find yourself falling in love with Kendrick all over again.
——————————
Highlight Songs:
Memory Serves Like Lightning
Dolly
Nightmare
Can’t Read Your Mind
Beer To Bed (Time To Kill)
——————————
Own it, Stream it, Forget about it?
Own it. Geowulf’s most intimate and vulnerable record yet deserves a spot in your collection. Star Kendrick’s reflections on motherhood, family, and identity are delivered with such warmth and honesty that you’ll find yourself returning to it for both comfort and inspiration.
——————————
Album Rating:
4.5 Stars
