A dazzling, lively wash of vivid warm dream pop, Hamburg indie trio Roller Derby’s “Can’t See You” is an immersive wave of stirring wonder and soaring feeling.
Stream: “Can’t See You” – Roller Derby
Can’t see you with my eyes…
A dazzling, lively wash of vivid warm dream pop, Roller Derby’s latest musical offering is an immersive wave of colorful sound and stirring feeling. As poetic as it is tantalizing, “Can’t See You” engulfs the senses in a cathartic, emotive release perfect for the start of a dark new year,
Take your time
Take my hand and we go on a ride
I’m alright when
You understand me
And we finally find our way
I’m alright when
I see what’s going down
Can’t see you with my eyes, no
Look at me, what do you need?
And you know it, you know it
Can’t see you with my eyes
Atwood Magazine is proud to be premiering the Anja Gurres-directed music video for “Can’t See You,” Roller Derby’s third single release and the last film in a trilogy of music videos released over the past three months. Founded in early 2020 by Philine Meyer (vocals, keys), Manuel Romero Soria (guitar) and Max Nielsen (bass), Roller Derby make compelling, dynamic rock-infused indie pop a la Blondie, Tennis, Alvvays, Snail Mail, and Soccer Mommy. The Hamburg trio cite dream pop and indie influences, citing a love of “chorus guitars, synth pads, and tweepop vocal melodies” in their music “about longing for love and enduring loss, without losing its lightness.” Recorded last March in Berlin’s Fuzz Factory with producer and sound engineer Dennis Jüngel (Oracles) in completely analogue form, Roller Derby’s music is light and heavy, dark and bright.
Their first two singles “I Wish” and “Flying High” have already racked up over 130,000 combined streams on Spotify alone, but by the looks of it, 2021 is looking to be Roller Derby’s year: Released January 22, “Can’t See You” is a driving, propulsive outpouring of bubbly indie pop bursting with raw verve. Philine Meyer’s voice soars, sweet and full of feeling, over stingy electric guitar riffs, fierce drums, and atmospheric synths:
Once you’re lost
Ain’t it hard for you to hold on tight?
Hold on tight, dear
I’ll be there
For you when you badly need my shoulder
I’m alright when
I see what’s going wrong
Can’t see you with my eyes, no
Look at me, what do you need?
And you know it, you know it
Can’t see you with my eyes
Can’t see you with my eyes, no
Can’t see you with my eyes
Can’t see you with my eyes, no
Can’t see you
“‘Can’t See You’ is an upbeat song combining elements of dream pop and shoegaze,” the band tell Atwood Magazine. “Once again the song is driven by the floating and melancholic vocals of singer Philine Meyer, which give it the dreamy dose that the band’s already known for.”
The music video for “Can’t See You” focuses on two young women who meet on the beach, played by Laura-Sophie Warachewicz and Roller Derby singer Philine Meyer. “In facing each other, a wall is created, perhaps out of fear, shame or expectations, which can only be broken when the two close their eyes and rely on their feelings,” the band explain. “The music video for the song links up with the first two music videos released so far to form a trilogy. Nevertheless, the three videos tell their own story when viewed individually. The two loose ends of the previous videos are now interwoven and reveal the relationship of the two young women. But is this really the end or the beginning of the story?”
“Sometimes it doesn’t take many words in a good lyric to convey a feeling that everyone knows: The desire to be close to a person who has distanced himself/herself emotionally from you,” Philine Meyer explains. “The eyes, the mirror of the soul as they say, tell us a lot about the emotional state of our counterpart. If this honest look is denied, then this so elusive, stirring feeling somewhere between hope and despair sets in. This feeling is orchestrated by shimmering ’80s synth melodies, tremolo guitar, and characterful vocals: “I see what’s going wrong but I can’t see YOU with my eyes. Look at me, what do you need?“
Look at me, I look up high
Many stars are out tonight
Can you feel it?
Do you believe it?
Look at me, I look up high
Many stars are out tonight
Can you feel it?
Can’t see you with my eyes
Can’t see you with my eyes, no
Can’t see you with my eyes
Can’t see you with my eyes, no
Can’t see you
Roller Derby marry deep emotions with mesmerizing dream pop in a passionate, soaring overhaul of stirring sound and sentiment.
“Can’t See You” makes for a fantastic start to the new year for one of Germany’s most exciting indie bands. A blur of nostalgia and presence, stinging riffs and hazey vocals, Roller Derby isn’t the sound that 2021 wants: It’s the sound 2021 needs.
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Stream: “Can’t See You” – Roller Derby
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