Madison Cunningham’s new album Ace is not just a continuation of her artistry; it is a recalibration. The Grammy-winning singer-songwriter, long celebrated for her intricate guitar work and keen lyricism, steps into new territory with an album that feels more inward, fluid, and intentionally light.
Following her acclaimed 2022 record Revealer, which earned the Grammy for Best Folk Album, Ace builds on that foundation with expanded instrumentation and deeper emotional reach.
When asked in a press conference with 1824 about how her approach to songwriting has changed since her last album, Madison commented that this record was the difference between hearing about heartbreak versus knowing it for herself.
“It was like the majority of my work was in therapy and processing the event that kind of changed my life, and the music was the easiest part. And that was kind of a strange gift in the whole thing. The biggest challenge was probably just not being afraid to not being nervous to sing about it all, and I think I’m still in that challenge.”
Madison Cunningham
Where Revealer lived in the tension between control and vulnerability, Ace surrenders completely. Cunningham trades sharp-edged folk-rock for something more chamber-pop and orchestral. Strings, woodwinds, and softly percussive textures wrap around her voice, creating an atmosphere both intimate and expansive.
From the opening track, “Shatter Into Form I,” a brief instrumental prelude, Cunningham sets the tone for the project. “Shore” follows, delivering a piano-driven ballad. “I’m running out of places I can store this need I have,” she sings, a lyric that frames the emotion throughout the record.
“Skeletree,” one of the album’s standouts, sharpens that ache with electric urgency. “Something’s got to give,” she sings, a line that lands like both plea and prophecy. Afterwards, the track “Mummy” revisits familial weight and identity. Her collaboration with Fleet Foxes on “Wake” is another highlight. The two voices intertwine like memory and reflection.
Madison Cunningham’s latest album, Ace, out now via Verve Forecast
“My Full Name,” the album’s lead single, embodies that evolution. Although it’s one of the simplest arrangements on the record, its directness cuts deep.
“‘My Full Name’…when I listen to that song with the cover, I see a very…young girl in that picture. Like, I feel like my whole aura changes somehow. It’s alive in that way because, yeah, the song is very earnest and vulnerable and…it’s almost like, it’s like sad to see that picture in light of that song. And that’s what I wanted it to feel like.”
Madison Cunningham relating “My Full Name” to the album artwork
Other tracks like “Goodwill” and “Beyond That Moon” show Cunningham’s gift for subtlety. They unfold slowly, rewarding repeat listens. The closing track, “Best of Us,” ends the album with acceptance. “Who gave up first? That depends on who is lying.” It is a surprisingly human way to sign off an album about love, loss, and renewal.
Cunningham’s last record, Revealer, was about unveiling truth; its name alone implies confrontation. Ace, by contrast, seems to be about living inside that truth. The transition from guitar-driven arrangements to piano-centric and orchestral layers mirrors this evolution.
Ace does not seek to impress with theatrics, the album invites you in slowly. There is risk in that choice since some fans may miss the sound of Revealer, but the payoff is greater depth.
For those who have followed her since Who Are You Now or Revealer, this feels like the natural next chapter: the sound of someone confident enough to start over.
