DANIEL NIGRO:
CRACKING THE CODE The co-writer-producer of the moment, in his own words (12/12a)
| ||
NOW WHAT?
We have no fucking idea.
COUNTRY'S NEWEST DISRUPTOR
Three chords and some truth you may not be ready for.
AI IS ALREADY EATING YOUR LUNCH
The kids can tell the difference... for now.
WHO'S BUYING THE DRINKS?
That's what we'd like to know.
|
It was my freshman year of high school, I was in detention and I was stoned. I wasn't in detention for being stoned; I just thought it would make the whole shindig a bit more enjoyable. My skater friend, who was really into EDM at the time, showed me the video for "Alice" by Pogo when the underwhelming supervisor left the room. My appreciation for electronic music has grown since then, but at the time, it was pretty nonexistent.
The clip definitely managed to stir something in me. It was breezy enough, cheeky enough and entrancing enough for me to push my prejudices aside.
I found myself revisiting "Alice" today after newcomer Elohim's "Xanax" brought back up an almost identical feeling, and I'm not even stoned (or at least that's what my bosses think). The tracks are in no way identical, but they certainly have similarities and are both beyond capable of inducing daydreams.
Released this morning, the alternative electro-pop song will simultaneously haunt and charm you with its shimmering yet welcoming hazy quality, which is also reminiscent of Portishead. Quite frankly, it reminds me of carelessly dozing under the mid-July sun. You may have ended up there because you just got evicted from your apartment, fired and/or dumped and suddenly without an agenda, but you discover that you're unexpectedly and inexplicably okay with it all.
The deliciously neurotic ode to the beauty of self-doubt is not as polarizing as its subject matter and is conversely comforting and relatable. I gotta say, I'm really enjoying soaking in this suddenly very noticeable sub-genre of music driven by introverted, female anti-heroes like Lorde, Courney Barnett, Alessia Cara and now Elohim.
I'm certainly not the only one wrapping my mind up in this auditory blanket, as ultimate tastemaker Zane Lowe was the one who enthusiastically brought it to my attention this morning. He premiered the treat on Beats 1 and raved about it before pressing play, only to pause and exclaim "LISTEN" before restarting it from the beginning.
Go ahead. Find allure within your flaws with "Xanax," the follow-up to the L.A.-based songstress' debut single, "She Talks Too Much," and take a cat-nap on Cloud Nine.
A limited edition 12-inch vinyl is available for pre-order now.
xx,
Samantha Hissong