Today’s Song: Annie Taylor’s “A Thousand Times” Cures Loneliness With Psychedelic Grunge

With “A Thousand Times,” Zurich’s Annie Taylor distort surf-pop until it sounds like the Beach Boys covering ‘Nevermind’.

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Stream: “A Thousand Times” – Annie Taylor

Some things are just better drenched in grime, be it the greasiest pizza, the walls of your favourite dive bar, or the music coming from the stage in a thick layer of fuzz making the world a better place. Swiss grunge band Annie Taylor definitely agrees with this. Despite starting life as a pop-rock band, their newest single “A Thousand Times” sees them take surf-pop and distort it till the walls shake: The end result sounds like the Beach Boys covered Nevermind.

Opening with a mid-tempo Tom Petty riff, this ballad of loneliness slinks along intriguingly while psychedelic vibes pour out of every plucked string. Gini Jungi ’s vocals hit slow and hypnotic, taking you on a sonic adventure through your own psyche. The chorus is smothered in the cloak of anguish and anger that drenches Hole’s best work, making you both roar and riot in equal measures. The moment is mighty, made stronger by its brevity—almost too soon it returns to the smooth, languid verses.

This sonic interplay strikes at the heart of loneliness itself- that it’s not a single emotion but rather a collection of conflicting feelings that we swing between frequently and without warning.

But I got nowhere to go
I told you so
You held me in your arms
When I felt small

You felt like this so many times before
I wonder how you managed to ignore
all the spinning thoughts in your head
which didn’t let you get out of your bed

Described by the band as a song about “getting together, exchanging and accepting help from others”, “A Thousand Times” speaks to anyone who’s felt isolated and in need of a friend. “It’s about people who are feeling down and the song is to let them know that they are not the only ones feeling like that.”

This grimey psychedelic sound hits hard and repeatedly, with each listen leaving you validated. Annie Taylor’s constantly evolving sound means who knows what they’ll be next, but you know it’ll be earnest, enjoyable, and make you feel less alone.

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