Guide
Almost Review
Lewis Capaldi’s “Almost” catches you off guard right from the start. This is the third single from his Survive EP, and it breaks away from his usual piano ballads by putting an acoustic guitar front and center. What really gets me is how deceptively simple it sounds at first, just voice and fingerpicked guitar, before it gradually opens up with synths and drums around the 50 second mark.
Song Analysis (Almost Review)
The song sits in E flat Major at 157 BPM, which gives it this restless, contemplative feel that perfectly matches what the lyrics are trying to say about being stuck between moving on and holding on. The chord progression in the verses moves through A flat, C minor, B flat, back to A flat, building this tension that finally releases when the chorus hits with E flat, G minor, A flat, B flat. It’s classic pop songwriting done really well.
What stands out most is Capaldi’s vocal performance and how the production team handled it. His voice spans about two octaves here, staying mostly in that emotional middle register where he sounds most raw and vulnerable. You can hear the heavy compression bringing up every breath and crack in his voice, giving it that intimate quality even when he’s belting in the chorus. They layered multiple types of reverb to create depth without drowning him out, and there’s subtle pitch correction that keeps things polished while still sounding natural. His delivery shifts from this almost boyish uncertainty in the verses to these powerful, aching moments in the chorus where his voice literally trembles between heartbreak and hope.
The production choices tell their own story. Written by Capaldi with Aiden Halliday, Todd Clark, and Ines Dunn, the song explores that painful space where you think you’re getting over someone but you’re really just fooling yourself. Instead of going big and cinematic, the arrangement stays intentionally restrained. The synth pads in the chorus add emotional weight without overwhelming everything, and the strings are mixed so low they’re almost ghostly. Even when all the instruments come in, it still feels like you’re sitting in a room with him. That choice to prioritize space and clarity over bombast is what makes this track work so well in the adult contemporary space while still having mainstream appeal.
Running at 3:41, “Almost” feels like a natural evolution for Capaldi. It’s got that same emotional punch you’d expect if you’ve heard his other work, but the guitar foundation gives it a different texture. The drums stay tasteful and supportive rather than driving everything forward. You can hear influences ranging from folk songwriters like Damien Rice to the emotional intensity of artists like Adele and Sam Smith. The whole thing builds beautifully from that stripped down opening through the bridge where he repeats “almost” like a mantra before hitting one final chorus. It’s the kind of song that gets under your skin because it captures that universal experience of not being quite over someone, no matter how hard you try to convince yourself otherwise.
Lewis Capaldi – “Almost” Lyrics (Almost Review)
Verse 1
Standing back but on the edge
Wide awake but laid in bed
The pain is real, but I’ll pretend
That all the hurting has an end
Pre-Chorus
Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide
No way to live, no way to die
Done all I can, all I do is try
To get through the daylight
Chorus
I swear to God I’m almost alright
I only think about you all the time
I almost never fall asleep
Wishing you were here with me
And I promise I’ve completely let you go
Almost
Verse 2
Talking circles round the room
Like I’ve got a point to prove
Every word except the truth
To everybody else but you
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Pre-Chorus
Done all I can, all I do is try
To get through another night
Chorus
I swear to God I’m almost alright
I only think about you all the time
I almost never fall asleep
Wishing you were here with me
And I promise I’ve completely let you go
I swear to God I’m almost okay
I only talk about you every day
It almost never cut me deep
When I had to watch you leave
And I promise I’ve completely let you go
Almost
Bridge
Almost
Almost
Chorus
I swear to God I’m almost alright
I only think about you all the time
I almost never fall asleep
Wishing you were here with me
And I promise I’ve completely let you go
Almost
Meaning (My Opinion) (Almost Review)
“Almost” gets right to that painful spot where you’re trying to get over someone but they’re still taking up way too much space in your head, this appears to be a common theme for Lewis. You know that feeling, right? Where you keep telling yourself you’re fine, but then something reminds you of them and you’re right back there. The whole song is basically Lewis Capaldi working through that struggle between wanting to move forward and being pulled back into old memories.
When he sings “I swear to God I’m almost alright,” it feels like he’s trying to convince himself as much as anyone else. We’ve all been there. You put on this front that everything’s good, but deep down you’re still working through it. The song doesn’t try to dress it up or make it pretty. It’s just Capaldi being honest about how messy it is to get over someone.
What really gets me is how he talks about surviving a breakup instead of actually getting over it. There’s a difference, you know? You can function and go through your days, but that doesn’t mean you’re healed. Lewis understands that being “almost” okay is still something. Sometimes that’s all you can do. You’re not completely fine, but you’re not falling apart either. You’re just… almost there.
The song feels real because Capaldi doesn’t pretend that time magically fixes everything. He admits that even when you think you’ve moved on, there’s still this part of you that hasn’t caught up yet. Anyone who’s dealt with heartbreak knows exactly what that feels like.
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