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Whether we like it or not, all things end. With an end comes a flurry of emotions, sometimes good, sometimes bad. Basically, as common as they are, endings are complicated. British-Greek singer Eleni Drake decided to face this complexity head on in her new album Chuck. The 12 track project examines a variety of endings and the emotions that result.

Chuck opens with “A Wonder Day.” The song features gentle instrumentation full of acoustic guitar and Drake’s vocals, which float between her airy upper range and her strong chest voice. There’s a haze of nostalgia throughout the song, emphasized by the lyrics that Drake wrote as a thank you for her best friend. “A Wonder Day” feels like an ode to childhood friendships shifting and changing as they transition to adulthood. There’s countless priceless memories that push you to keep the friendship, even if the way the friendship was in childhood has ended. 

Drake moves away from the certainty of friendship with her best friend and into the uncertainty that comes with romantic relationships in “Half Alive.” Gone is the fondness that listeners heard on “A Wonder Day.” Instead there’s a note of despair and defeat that courses throughout the song. There’s a focus on the conflicting feelings of love and the realization that maybe putting an end to the relationship is the right thing to do. In the chorus Drake sings “Feeling half alive / Inside your arms / Where you told me I could do no wrong / Feeling half alive / In the back of your car where you swore that I was evil.” The juxtaposition between the sweetness of the first two lines versus the bitterness of the last two highlights the need for the relationship to end, the kind partner from before no longer exists, replaced by a spiteful one instead. 

“Paper Moons” takes listeners in a different sonic direction. The album’s first two songs were stripped back and simple, while the third track has an upbeat groove to it thanks to the riffs, steady drums, and Drake’s confident, self assured vocals. She has come to the realization that her current relationship is no longer serving her as she sings “I say that I’m happy / But darling, we both know that I’m not.” Unlike “Half Alive,” “Paper Moons” feels like Drake has made the decision to end the relationship herself. She’s learned from her past and has been able to recognize the warning signs, as she sings “And you hate that I cry over something / That he did to me.”

In “Alone” Drake sings about a new type of ending, perhaps the most painful kind of ending, the kind where love is still present. The song’s protagonist, Leroy, and his lover have ended their relationship, but neither one of them is happy about it. In the final minute of the song Drake sings directly to the lovers telling them “Just know if you’re both hurting / It means you’ve learnt a lot / Not everyone is lucky / To feel the sadness that you’ve got / It’s better to have loved / Than to have never loved at all.” It seems for a moment that there’s an acceptance and respect towards the unwelcome ending, but Drake encourages Leroy to reach back out to his love, to tell her that he’s learned from his mistakes. Drake believes that Leroy’s love will welcome him back with open arms. “Alone” reminds listeners of just how difficult it can be to come to terms with an ending, even when it’s the right choice.

As the album progresses, Drake takes a moment to examine her own role in a relationship’s end, in “Dolores,” named after the Westworld character of the same name. Much like Dolores’s story, the beginning of the song seems innocent enough, as Drake sings “Sun beams find you / It’s like I knew / I’d sing every song for you.” As the story continues, Drake finds herself leaving the honeymoon phase, and she questions her own role in the downfall as she sings “Fall in quickly,

Fall out faster / I think the problem lies with me?” In the chorus Drake repeatedly sings “I didn’t think it’d be so sweet / I didn’t think so” the lyrics accompanied by a looping guitar riff. “Dolores” is a song full of questioning, questioning your partner, questioning yourself, and this comes to a peak in the song’s final moments. Gone is the simple guitar riff. Piano and layered vocals join the instrumentation creating tension, and building to the realization that another ending is in the sight. 

“Brockwell” gives listeners another lighter sonic moment, the same way “Paper Moons” did. Sparkling instrumentation with steady drums and bright piano accompany Drake’s vocals as she sings “Real love was meant to last.” “Leroy” brings in a folk moment with plucking guitars and rich bass. Unlike the ending of “Alone” where Drake encouraged Leroy to chase after his lost love, “Leroy” ends with Drake repeating “Can’t keep her in the palms of your love.”

Drake moves away from romance and takes another moment to reminisce on friendship in “The End.” While she looks back on the friendship fondly, she knows that there will be no going back. This is one of those endings where no one did anything wrong. Something, maybe time, maybe distance, simply came between the friends and was too difficult to overcome. Sweet acoustic guitar matches Drake’s sweet vocals, emphasizing the love that she still feels, even if this friendship is not as prominent as it once was. “Afterlife” immediately contrasts the happy reflection found in “The End.” There is pain throughout “Afterlife,” the sting of loss is still fresh in Drake’s mind as she sings "Time goes by, with our without you / Though you’ve crossed my mind one time, maybe two / And don't worry, how i’m doing, cos you never really knew / So we’ll be strangers, in the afterlife too.” Even with eternity to reconcile, Drake is so hurt she knows that this ending is a permanent one. While “Afterlife” also features acoustic guitar, forlorn synth creates a much sadder moment of reflection, compared to the previous track. 

“Ripples” features Drake going back and forth at a pivotal point in a relationship. It feels as though she is poised to take the next step but is unsure if she should. The positives are clear as Drake sings “Home is not the walls in which I lay between / Home is two eyes that look for mine / And they make me feel seen / Introverted but not with you.” Despite the clear good, Drake is still hesitant as she reflects on her track record with love singing “You remind me of what I lost / In the ripples I get caught / I’d swim to you but / I’m getting good at ruining love.” 

In “I Don’t Not Love You,” Drake once again reflects on a relationship that has ended, even though the love may still linger. While earlier in the album Drake encouraged Leroy to reach back out to his love, she doesn’t seem to have any intention of doing that herself as she sings “It didn’t end our way / And honey, that’s ok” and “You say you hate that you care, you hate that we’re through / And I’m reminded to say, that I don’t not love you.” Drake has grown alongside her album, and now realizes that love isn’t always enough to keep a relationship going. Sometimes you just need to accept that love remains, even while the relationship does not, and that’s okay. 

As Chuck comes to an end, Drake reflects on her own ending. Having explored the endings of friendships and romantic relationships, “Saw It Too” takes a moment to dream about the relationship that won’t end. Drake ponders how people’s actions would change if they knew the day they would die, and guesses that when she reaches the golden gates she’ll be told “Darlin, you did your best / but you spent too much time worrying / bout nothing at all.” Amid the thoughts of heaven, Drake catches a glimpse of the one she’s meant to be with, the one that she will end up with. She gently sings “I saw it too / that glimpse of me and you / I saw it too

‘forever babe’ was with you,” accompanied by a bright acoustic guitar. Despite the theme of endings throughout, “Saw It Too” wraps up Chuck on an optimistic note, reminding listeners that not all endings are bad.