Track Of The Day: Penfriend – ‘Everything Looks Normal In The Sunshine’

Amidst the thick of global uncertainty and turmoil, Penfriend (Laura Kidd) releases her new mighty anthem ‘Everything Looks Normal In The Sunshine’, emitting undeniable and hard-hitting hope against our universal haze.

Written in reflection of the state of a pandemic and the emotional strife that it perpetuates, Penfriend asks us to not “second-guess humanity away” and illustrates her current journey with catchy pop melodies in a controlled, yet scuzzy, alternative-rock soundscape.

Crunchy wide-spread guitar tones sit just right, allowing her supportive lyrics to lend a helping hand to listeners as they are whisked away by energetic synth lines and booming drums. Grunge era elements set a solid bed for Penfriend’s lead guitar parts to dance upon its noise, giving the tune a contagious indie hook to its taste.

‘Everything Looks Normal In The Sunshine’ is the supportive essence of a true best-friend, or everyone’s favourite Auntie, and the feeling of dancing a night away. It is the freshness of stretching your lungs with your deepest breath in a while, and the lightness in your footsteps on your home’s carpet after a day’s work. It’s an equal marriage between reflective catharsis and a plan to move forward. Let’s “stand tall and we’ll all take the weight” together, with Penfriend as our inspiration and soundtrack.

 

‘Everything Looks Normal In The Sunshine’ is out now.

Jillian Goyeau
@jillybxxn

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WATCH: Tired Lion – ‘Waterbed’

Smoking Nuns, cemetery backdrops, and savage guitar riffs dominate the new video for Tired Lion’s latest single, ‘Waterbed’. The track is a grunge-infused goodbye to the past, and a bold leap into the band’s future sound.

“I could never feel the way I used to feel” sings front woman Sophie Hopes, over grungy guitars and crashing percussion. Though her lyrics drip with disappointment, her powerful vocals act as a catalyst for letting go of what’s dragging her down. Hopes relocated to Brisbane from her hometown of Perth 18 months ago and has been evolving Tired Lion’s sound ever since.

Speaking about the track, Hopes explains: “I guess I always found waterbeds fascinating – they came with guarantees of abolishing back aches, better sex, curing insomnia etc. – none of which actually happened. I read that apparently a lot of people didn’t last more than a month with them. The song represents that you could buy into the idea of something but when you get there the reality is actually far from what you expected. Looking back on memories, sometimes things just don’t work out the way you thought they would – the song is about cutting ties to the past.”

Watch the video for ‘Waterbed’ below and follow Tired Lion on Facebook & Spotify for more updates.

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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LISTEN: Mint Field – ‘Natural’

A hazy, off-kilter musing on the fluidity of language and life; Mint Field have shared their latest single, ‘Natural’. Released via Felte Records, the Mexico City-based group blur gritty guitar distortion with Estrella del Sol Sanchez’s gentle vocals to create their beguiling, grungy sounds.

Now formed of Estrella, Sebastian Neyra, and Callum Brown (Ulrika Spacek); Mint Field have moved cities and re-shuffled their line-up over the last year. Originally from the Mexican border town of Tijuana, the band now reside in Mexico City, and continue to create dreamy, distorted soundscapes. New track ‘Natural’ is a shining example of this, with its unusual rhythm section and layers of guitar. This is also the first time the band have introduced violin, strings and saxophone on to a track, with the help of guest collaborators Cathy Lucas (Vanishing Twin) and Nathan Pigott.

‘Natural’ is accompanied by a set of visuals (shot before the current lockdown), directed by Daniela Solis and Maria Ramirez. The footage captures the natural movement of light as time elapses, reflecting the themes of fluency and self-awareness within the song. The video was shot “all natural” too, with no post production effects. Watch the video below, and follow Mint Field on Spotify and Facebook for more updates.

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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LISTEN: Jenny O. – ‘God Knows Why’

A bittersweet track about accepting an unexpected change; L.A. based songwriter Jenny O. has shared her latest single, ‘God Knows Why’. Taken from her upcoming album, New Truth, set for release on 19th June via Mama Bird Recording Co., the song is based on Jenny’s own experience of losing the hearing in her right ear.

Despite its upsetting context, ‘God Knows Why’ is an uplifting, cathartic listen that proves Jenny has a talent for making the most out of a truly difficult and unfair situation. Her smooth vocals glide over grungy, acoustic guitars and steady percussion, with the repeated line ‘God Knows Why’ acting as both a reassurance, and an exasperation at the situation she finds herself in.

Jenny extrapolates on the single, and her upcoming album: “I wrote ‘God Knows Why’ after going deaf in one ear and asking why perplexing things happen – fate, cause and effect. When I lost my hearing, a doctor said, “God took it.” Something happened to me neurologically, but here we are. Why do people behave against their own interests? Why do some people survive and others don’t? New Truth has to do with coming to terms with a new reality; what is and what will be, now that things have changed or information has come to light. Feels accurate in this period of adjustment and great sadness.”

We feel Jenny’s poignant new offering provides sweet relief during this chaotic time. Listen to ‘God Knows Why’ below, and follow Jenny O. on Spotify & Facebook for more updates.

Photo Credit: Jenny O.

Kate Crudgington
@KCBobCut

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