Guts Vinyl Review: Spinning Olivia Rodrigo’s Breakout Album the Way It Was Meant to Be Heard
This is your Guts vinyl review, and let me say it straight: Olivia Rodrigo’s second album sounds even more intense on wax. It’s all heartbreak, chaos, and sarcasm, pressed into 12 sharp tracks that hit harder on a turntable. I picked up the standard black pressing earlier this year and, honestly, it hasn’t left my rotation since.
This album isn’t just for Gen Z heartbreak junkies it’s for anyone who remembers what it feels like to be young, angry, and emotionally reckless. It’s pop-punk with piano ballads. It’s bratty, broken, and smart. And it works so well on vinyl.
Why Guts Was Built for Vinyl
Some records just feel more alive on wax. Guts is one of them.
From the first scream in “All-American Bitch” to the quiet ache of “Teenage Dream,” there’s a looseness and grit that digital doesn’t quite catch. The vinyl pressing brings out textures you miss on streaming, finger slides on strings, reverb tails, and even small room sounds.
And that midrange warmth? It softens the sheen and gives the mix some bite. You get depth in the quiet songs, and punch in the loud ones. This album was recorded like a rock record, and the vinyl format honours that.
Vinyl also forces you to sit with the whole thing. Side A is chaotic and loud. Side B gets sadder, weirder, and more inward. The format gives each half its mood.
What It Sounds Like on Wax
I played it on my Technics 1200 with an Ortofon Red cartridge. The difference from Spotify was immediate. The guitars were fuzzier. The vocals are more present. There’s space between instruments, especially in tracks like “Lacy” and “Making the Bed.” The drums in “Ballad of a Homeschooled Girl” practically bounce off the walls.
The vinyl mastering isn’t too hot either. No clipping or distortion even in loud parts. Surface noise was minimal, just a faint crackle between tracks. It suits the mood, to be honest.
Track by Track Breakdown
Side A
All-American Bitch – From soft acoustic to pure chaos. The dynamic shift hits harder on vinyl.
Bad Idea Right? – Messy in the best way. The distorted guitars pop more on this pressing.
Vampire – The vocal is huge. You really feel every word in the room with you.
Lacy – Soft and eerie. Vinyl warmth makes this one glow quietly.
Ballad of a Homeschooled Girl – Fast and loose. The drums punch better here than on digital.
Making the Bed – A slow burn. The acoustic details shine through the analog format.
Side B
Logical – Stripped-back and painful. On wax, it feels more intimate.
Get Him Back! – Easily one of the best songs here. Loud, bratty, brilliant. Vinyl gives it edge.
Love is Embarrassing – Upbeat, slightly crowded in the mix, but still fun.
The Grudge – Sparse piano and aching vocals. Sounds great with the lights down.
Pretty Isn’t Pretty – The production is glossy, but the vinyl adds a hint of grime.
Teenage Dream – A gut-punch of a closer. On vinyl, that final note hangs forever.
Guts Pressing Quality and Package Details
This pressing comes from GZ Media, one of Europe’s big plants. They’ve had a few dodgy moments in the past, but mine came out solid: flat, centred, and quiet. The inner sleeve is plain paper, fine, but I swapped in an anti-static one to be safe.
The jacket is a bold purple with minimal text. There’s a lyric booklet inside with full lyrics and some handwritten notes. No poster or download code, but the focus here is on the music. And the music delivers.
Guts vs Sour – Growth, Grit, and Going Louder
If Sour was the quiet cry after heartbreak, Guts is the slam of the bedroom door. Olivia Rodrigo’s debut had big singles, but it was polished and cautious in places. Guts feels bolder, weirder, funnier, even angry at times.
This isn’t just a breakup album. It’s a frustrated scream about expectations, image, and the mess of early adulthood. The lyrics hit harder, and the production’s more raw. Vinyl handles that shift beautifully.
Songs like “Get Him Back!” and “Ballad of a Homeschooled Girl” would’ve sounded out of place on Sour. Here, they’re right at home. Guts is more guitar-driven. Less polite. And way more fun to blast.
How Olivia Rodrigo Became a Vinyl Favourite
Olivia Rodrigo is still in her early twenties, yet her music feels like it remembers cassette tapes and weekend mixtapes. Listen closely and you catch the spirit of ‘90s alt-rock, early 2000s pop-punk, and that raw, diary-like honesty that Fiona Apple or Alanis Morissette were famous for. Because of all that, her songs feel at home on a turntable.
When her debut project, Sour, landed in 2021, it quickly claimed the title of the year’s top-selling vinyl record rare win for a newcomer against legendary catalogues. Fans weren’t content to stream alone; they wanted the physical artefact.
Guts lifts that vinyl magnetism even higher. The tracks hit harder, breathing like a low-lit bedroom jam instead of a polished screen session. Already, collectors talk about it as one of the standout pop LPs of the past few years.
Presentation matters, too, and she knows it. Eye-catching cover art, sketchy lyric pages, and small-run colour variants all play directly to the collector’s itch. Olivia Rodrigo isn’t simply topping charts; she’s making records worth spinning again and again.
Where to Buy Guts on Vinyl
Looking to pick it up? Here are your options:
Standard Black Vinyl – Widely available across UK shops like HMV and Rough Trade. Solid sound and best value.
Coloured Vinyl Variants – The US got red, blue, and purple versions, which often sold out now. Try Discogs or local record shops..
Official Store – Check the Olivia Rodrigo shop for future represses or bundles.
Best Songs to Hear on Vinyl
hese tracks really shine when played on wax:
Get Him Back! – Chunky riffs, sassy delivery. It just slaps harder on a turntable.
Lacy – Whispery and layered. Vinyl brings out its subtle mood.
Ballad of a Homeschooled Girl – Raw and rattling. Best when turned up loud.
Teenage Dream – Haunting closer. You hear the emotion shake in her voice.
Why This Olivia Rodrigo Vinyl Album Matters
The momentum is specifically vinyl Side A is all teeth and sarcasm with Rodrigo barking out lines like she is fronting a garage band (and maybe she is). Then comes Side B, where everything slows down, the emotions become sharper, and the words further breathe.
It is not a playlist, it is an old–fashioned LP. The jumps between genres (pop-punk, piano ballad, power pop) do not feel tight. The jumps remain cohesive in a way that rewards sitting through the entire listening experience.
This is what makes Guts more than just another new release on vinyl; it is not just on vinyl, it belongs on vinyl. Even the imperfections add to the character and charm. A touch of surface noise here, a touch of vocal sibilance there – it creates texture to the Guts vinyl review experience, something to hold, something to remember.
This Olivia Rodrigo vinyl album might not be a collector’s dream in terms of packaging or extras, but musically? It’s one of the best modern pop records to spin, front to back.
Lyric Highlights – Lines That Cut Through the Noise
Rodrigo’s songwriting is sharper than ever. It’s direct but clever, personal but easy to sing along to. Some standout moments:
“I wanna meet his mom / Just to tell her her son sucks” (Get Him Back!)
“Everythin’ I do is tragic / Every guy I like is gay” (Ballad of a Homeschooled Girl)
“I got the sun in my motherf***ing pocket, best believe” (All-American Bitch)
“People are people / But it’s like you’re made of angel dust” (Lacy)
On vinyl, you hear the bite behind these lines. There’s a closeness to the vocal mix that puts her words front and centre.
Pros and Cons: Guts on Vinyl
Pros:
Honest, raw songwriting
Excellent mastering for vinyl
Strong emotional delivery
Great pressing quality overall
Cons:
No coloured vinyl easily available in the UK
Minimal extras or inserts
Some minor crowding in the mix
Who Should Buy It?
If you’re into emotional pop with bite, this is for you. It’s not just another breakup album. It’s a full-body tantrum. And if you collect vinyl, it’s one of the best modern pop records to own, both musically and in how it sounds on wax.
New to vinyl? This is a great way to hear what physical format adds. A must-own for fans of Lorde, Alanis, Paramore or just people with feelings.
FAQs – Guts Vinyl Review
Is there a coloured vinyl version of Guts?
Yes. The US got red, blue, and purple variants. Some are hard to find in the UK now.
What speed does Guts play at?
33 1/3 RPM. Standard single LP.
Is the vinyl version better than digital?
Depends on your setup. But yes—vinyl adds warmth and texture you don’t get from streaming.
Does it come with lyrics?
Yes. There’s a full lyric booklet included.
Who pressed the Guts vinyl?
GZ Media in the Czech Republic. Quality on my copy was very good.
Final Thoughts: A Pop Record with Actual Guts
Guts isn’t a flawless album, and that’s the whole idea. It’s chaotic, exposed, and loud. It taps into what it feels like to be 19 and disintegrating publicly. And on vinyl, it has even more of that intimate feeling to it.
This is Olivia Rodrigo ageing in real–time, and no matter if she is singing loudly or softly, you trust her. That authenticity, on the foundation of strong production and good writing, makes this among the strongest pop albums of the decade thus far. It’s also among the most repeatable records I’ve spun this year, alongside my copies of Lotus and Twelve Carat Toothache. It lives well on the shelf but even better on the platter.
This Guts Vinyl Review is part of the growing stack at New Vinyl Day, where turntables don’t sleep and records keep spinning.
