Now Listening: This Week's Tracks
By Saachi Gupta, Astrid Ortega & Isabella Vega
Deep Sea Peach Trees - “Harakiri”
“Harakiri,” the newest single from musical project Dead Sea Peach Tree, is a thrillingly soothing exploration of the electronic sound. Described as “sleepy surf rock/aquatic sleep rock”, the song features notes of jazz, indie rock , and the feeling of breathing underwater. Deep Sea Peach Tree was created by Kristof Denis (guitar/vocals), and is a collaborative project with friends Wiley Watson (guitar/programming), and Andrew Dell Isola (bass). Their previous release, “Vaguely Navy”, which came out in June of 2017, was seen as a starting point that sounded more towards the classic rock sound. Now, with a tinge more groovy and electronic sound, the band has made their triumphant return, leaving listeners wanting more of their vibe.
Kailee Morgue - “Knew You”
Hailed as “the sorceress of bedroom pop”, singer/songwriter Kailee Morgue has released the latest single off of her newest EP Here in Your Bedroom, “Knew You”, with an accompanying video. The song is filled with pop influences that beautifully highlight Morgue’s voice. The lyrics are softly yearning for a more docile, domestic life with the person who equally matches her introverted tendencies. For the accompanying music video, Morgue herself provided creative direction. She says that “The idea for this video was to have me sort of contrasting the spaces I was in, with the way I was dressed and how messy my hair was against the soft, light backgrounds. It was also supposed to hint at a sort of intimacy; waiting for someone else to arrive in that bedroom or the diner.” With a keen eye for creativity and hauntingly beautiful lyrics, “Knew You” catapults the starlet to a new stratosphere of indie-pop stardom.
Cayley Thomas - “Sunshine”
If there is anything Cayley Thomas will be known for, besides her incredibly versatile range and transportative melodies, it’s her storytelling. Thomas is one of those rare singers who can craft a world for her listeners to exist in. This storytelling is heightened in her newest single, “Sunshine”, off of her spectacular new album, How Else Can I Tell You?, which samples sounds from indie-pop taken with a modern twist. Sunshine is everything you loved about early 60s rock, the innocence and pure, unadulterated happiness, paired with a 70s-style wailing vocals. The song is like a time capsule for a happy time, equal parts emotional and groovy. Thomas herself is a singer/songwriter/guitarist from Alberta, who specializes in constructing melodies that show her range and character while still sensitively simple. Thomas is a mastermind in weaving together thinely spooled threads of simple melodies with lyrical gems, creating an unforgettable track that will live on in the listener's heart.
Safari Room - “Young Water”
Safari Room has made their successful return to indie rock with the release of their newest single, “Young Water”. The band describes the track as “details the tension and release of monotony and the hope to break out of stagnant, cyclical behaviors.” The song itself is confident and upbeat, with lyrics that are optimistic and assured, the perfect thing to inspire and unify all of us living through this treacherous time. Safari Room describes themselves as an “indie rock band” with musical comparisons to The National, Death Cab for Cutie, and Fleet Foxes. Formed in Nashville, Safari Room seeks to observe the human condition as a basis for their work. With the release of “Young Water”, Safari Room has established themselves as an intriguing yet personal band that is sure to have meteoric success in the years to come.
Glass Animals - “Dreamland”
Title tracks can either make or break an album. With “Dreamland”, the title track for their third studio album, heightens the entire listening experience. The band describes it “Each line asks a question that’s explored in a later song. It’s not a banging single (the next one we’ll drop slaps!), but the words here could be considered a table of contents for the album as a whole.” The song is laced with soft rock influences that seem to almost combat the lyrics being said, yet join together perfectly towards the end.
Frontman, Dave Bayley, describes the album as “a nostalgic memoir of [his] life so far, covering expansive and difficult ground and holding nothing back.”
“The idea for this album came at a time of confusion and uncertainty. My best friend was in the hospital. I didn’t know if he’d make it. The future was damn scary and completely unknown. During those weeks in the hospital, it was so difficult to look forwards that I found myself looking backwards. Digging around in my mind, pulling up old memories, finding comfort in them even if they were uncomfortable in themselves. Speaking to friends and family, I’ve realised that a lot of people are experiencing a similar sort of confusion now. Everything that we thought we could see clearly in front of us has been thrown into the air, and all the while, we can’t be out finding our footing. We can’t be out creating new memories, so…we’re diving back head-first into the old ones. I hear that in conversations. I see it in what people are watching on TV. In what we’re listening to. In what we’re eating. In dreams.”
The video for the track was created completely in quarantine with frontman Dave Bayley with a remote creative team. Through handwritten instructions, a homemade setup, and countless zoom meetings, the video is equal parts absurd and comforting, in an unconscious dreamlike sense that seems to fit perfectly with the work.
