Five Feet - To: Late (2025)

‘To: Late’ opens with “Answers,” and I instantly fell in love with Five Feet’s distinct sound. It’s soft and very indie-pop, but there’s a punk ethos that seems to swirl around during this first three-minute-long song. That punk ethos comes mostly from the raw and heart-on-the-sleeve styled lyrics, but it also comes from the power that comes with the glittery guitars that highlight this song. The more indie-pop sound definitely comes from the tenderness that comes through in the vocal styling. Honestly, in the pitch about this band, they mention that they have been described as “sad soft Cranberries,” and I think that’s such a perfect description for this opening track.

The beauty laid out in “Answers” continues into “True Scarlett,” but it comes with a serving of slightly haunting energy. The way the vocals slide from note to note is nothing short of goosebump-inducing, but again, you get an unspoken sense of energy throughout this slow and steady song at the same time. I love the way this band seems to stay on the quieter and calmer side of things, yet they stop short of coming off as a sleepy band or one that is just going through the motions. The swells of power throughout this second track prove that you can scream volumes by just whispering a couple of words.

I felt like there had been a slight folksy influence throughout the first two songs, so I wasn’t surprised when it came to the forefront in “Fool Me,” but that didn’t mean it didn’t leave me stunned. Truthfully, this song feels straight off the Juno soundtrack. You know, that movie from back in the day that we all obsessed over the soundtrack on because it was so perfect and featured the goddess herself, Kimya Dawson. Although this song isn’t anywhere near the style of Kimya, I feel like the feeling is the same. It’s sweet and innocent, even playful at times, but it packs a powerful punch of raw emotion that’s so easy to fall into and get lost in.

“True Blue” is so cozy. I want to tell you everything I felt when I listened to this song and let it fill my house, but truthfully, I am just at a loss for words. The sound of this song seemed to swirl around my house with the smell of the candle I currently have burning, and it just created a “middle of winter” kind of coziness that I never wanted to leave. Did I listen to this song a couple of times before moving on to “Questions”? Absolutely, but when you find something as comforting and cozy as “True Blue,” why not spend some extra time with it?

After the beauty and calm that was “True Blue,” “Questions” hit like a massive truck with the amount of power that comes with this song. Although definitely a bit more in-your-face and loud, “Questions” is still clearly a song from Five Feet. You still get that “sad soft Cranberries” sound even through the power that comes with this track. Lyrically, this song seems to ask a lot of, well, “Questions,” which I found super intriguing but also saw as the band expanding on their already heart-on-the-sleeve styled vocals that reign supreme throughout this album.

“Borrow or Rob” brings the vibe back down to a more standard Five Feet level but introduces a new element into the mix – something a bit more choral, almost angelic. The tone of the vocals in this track leans into the beauty I felt in “True Scarlett” but seems to take a more serious tone. Don’t get me wrong, the lyrics and overall song are still very relatable, but you lose the playful energy that had been felt in some of the previous songs, and it’s replaced with something much more mature and serious. It was still just as beautiful, but it definitely had a different vibe that I wasn’t quite ready for, especially after “Questions.”

I don’t know what it is about “Mandator(ily),” but this song instantly had me hooked. Something about the line, “I fall just a little bit in love with everyone I know,” hit me, and it hit me hard. It’s such a simple thought but one that I feel like, even if you feel the sentiment, you don’t know how to put it into words. Five Feet has put it into words and in a way that makes you feel it down to the core of your bones. Outside of the lyrics of this song, what clearly struck me is the way the song seems to slow down and speed up at various times, as if giving you the feeling of rushed thoughts or those manic days where, although you’re getting a lot done, it’s never enough, and you are left feeling like you are drowning but in a tragically beautiful kind of way. I love everything that I’ve heard on this album thus far and will undoubtedly continue to love it, but something about “Mandator(ily)” just really got me making it a stand-out song on a dazzling album.

Just when I thought I had this band figured out, they hit me with “Backroads.” Although overall, this song is another sweet and slow-moving yet energized track, there’s something a bit more severe about the drum hits in this track. There’s something almost intimidating about the way it starts, and the vocals feel more rushed than in the previous songs, giving this track a furious feel when compared to the rest of the album. I loved it because, even though towards the end of the album, it proves that Five Feet still has so much more to show, and they aren’t about to let the rest of this album slip under the radar. They still have surprises and twists ready to surprise you around every corner and after every beat.

The band returns to its soft and sweet mode with “Lessons Learned.” If you’re not careful, this song may bring tears to your eyes. Don’t worry about it if it happens; let the tears roll because the beauty of this song will make you feel everything you’ve been trying to avoid over the past couple of days. It’s a song of self-awareness and self-doubt. That could be said about all the songs on this album, which paint a scene of trying to keep everything and everyone around you afloat when all you want to do is give in to the feeling of drowning. However, there’s something almost too raw about “Lessons Learned.” Truthfully, I listened to this song a dozen times. Trying to figure out the right words to say about how this song made me feel, but everything I wrote felt too personal, and it was all stuff I genuinely don’t want to share, at least not right now, but I know that this song made me feel seen for the first time in a long while. I can’t thank Five Feet enough for that.

‘To: Late’ closes with “Lullaby(e).” Like so many other final songs on flawless albums, this song gently offers you back to reality, but not before reminding you of the beauty that is behind Five Feet’s sound. Although I don’t want to face the real world and I really don’t want to finish the chores I have lined up for tonight, at least I know I have this “Lullaby(e)” to keep me calm through the rest of the day. It will surely be the last thing I hear in my head before laying down to finally go to sleep tonight, and I honestly think I’m about to get the most restful sleep I’ve had in a very long time because of the peace that this song, album, and Five Feet, in general, has given me on the journey that is ‘To: Late.’

Tl;dr: ‘To: Late’ is not the most energetic album you’ll hear today, but it’s absolutely still worth a listen. The beauty in this album is immeasurable, and the way it makes you feel like all your deepest and darkest thoughts have been seen yet provides you with a sense of comfort rather than judgment is stunning. What a dazzling and memorable piece of art.