LOS ANGELES, CA- There is something oddly soothing about Grumpy’s “Twenty Five.” On its surface, the song feels warm and nostalgic, built around a lo-fi aesthetic that evokes memories half-remembered rather than fully recalled. Yet beneath that comforting exterior lies a subtle unease that gives the track much of its emotional power.
Part of that tension comes from Heaven Schmitt’s vocal approach. Throughout the song, Schmitt layers harmonies that occasionally brush against dissonance. The effect is remarkably understated. These are not jarring clashes designed to draw attention to themselves. Instead, the dissonant notes emerge almost like fleeting thoughts, quietly piercing through the song’s wistful atmosphere before disappearing back into the haze. They create a feeling that something remains unresolved, even as the music itself feels inviting and familiar.
That emotional push-and-pull becomes even more apparent when the guitar solo arrives. On first listen, its aggressive tone feels almost out of place against the song’s dreamy backdrop. Yet the more I sat with the track, the more essential it felt. If the verses represent acceptance and tenderness, then the guitar solo feels like the emotional turbulence lurking beneath the surface. It is the sound of uncertainty breaking through composure.
That interpretation became clearer after reading the lyrics.
At its heart, “Twenty Five” is a song about transformation. Inspired by a conversation between Schmitt and their girlfriend and bandmate Ellie Long, the song imagines a scenario in which the past could be rewritten. Long expressed a wish that she could have transitioned earlier in life and experienced the girlhood she always wanted. Rather than focusing on the implications of transition itself, Schmitt’s songwriting turns inward, confronting a deeply human fear: what if changing the past meant losing the relationship that exists in the present?
The song’s most affecting moment may be the line, “I love watching you as you’re changing.” It is a simple statement, yet it carries enormous weight. Schmitt is not resisting change. They are embracing it. But acceptance does not eliminate vulnerability. The song acknowledges that loving someone often means watching them evolve into new versions of themselves while trusting that the connection between you will endure.
Viewed through that lens, the subtle harmonic dissonances take on new meaning. They reflect the uncertainty embedded within the song’s central question. The narrator wants their partner to become fully themselves, yet quietly fears the possibility of being left behind by the process.
What ultimately elevates “Twenty Five” is the way it resolves that tension. As the song reaches its conclusion, the music settles into a series of almost choral-sounding major chords. The resolution is not dramatic or triumphant. Instead, it feels peaceful. After spending the entire song wrestling with uncertainty, Grumpy arrives at a place of trust.
The ending does not provide answers. It offers faith.
I am still not entirely certain what “Twenty Five” means to me, and that may be part of why it has stayed with me. Some songs reveal themselves immediately. Others leave behind an emotional impression that takes time to fully understand. “Twenty Five” belongs firmly in the latter category.
If this track is representative of where Grumpy is headed creatively, then I suspect I have a lot more of their catalog to explore. More importantly, it makes me want to.
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