Arriving alongside their debut album announcement, “Small Talk” is a resounding reminder that no one captures a world of raw emotion quite as beautifully, nor as viscerally, as Soda Blonde.
Stream: “Small Talk” – Soda Blonde
No one captures a world of raw emotion quite as beautifully, nor as viscerally, as Soda Blonde.
Irish artist-to-watch Soda Blonde have made a name for themselves by channeling upheaval and inner tension it beauty and wonder, and their latest single is the apotheosis of this transformation. The Dublin-based band recently announced their heavily-anticipated debut album with the release of “Small Talk,” a smoldering title track full of passion and pain. Waves of heated harmonies and glistening melodies come to the fore against a dazzling dance-pop rhythm as lead vocalist Faye O’Rourke tracks the breakdown of a relationship in real time:
Never been so bound to anybody like you
Your silhouette is all around
But now that you don’t want me
You’re making it easy
You insinuate I’m a loser
Down that avenue
Through the lane that we go through
And I can tell by the way that you lean
That you’re fine on your own now
Her words capture a fraught state of being, yet it’s the sheer intimacy and vulnerability of her performance that makes “Small Talk” an enchanting five-minute experience.
“To put it simply, ‘Small Talk’ is about life in our 20s,” Faye O’Rourke shared upon the song’s release. “Every part of us is in here, both subliminally and literally. Lyrically, this record is like a collection of my flaws and insecurities. They’re lingering awkwardly by the bar at a crowded social gathering, waiting to integrate with the wider world.”
It’s one thing to reveal your self-perceived, so-called “faults” to the world; it’s another to do so with the style, flash, and sheer confidence embedded in every second of a Soda Blonde song.
Everything is practice
Talking is tactics
Hello how are you doin’ baby?
Forever in the moment
But nobody’s noticed
The silhouette that’s all around
Is this all of it? Do I suppress everything?
Am I just too late to admit that I’m ignoring myself?
Giving it up, I am giving, giving up
I am giving up small talk
Soda Blonde’s debut album Small Talk is out July 9, 2021 via Velveteen Records. Already the alt-pop pride of their local Dublin scene, the five-piece of O’Rourke, Dylan Lynch, Donagh Seaver O’Leary, and Adam O’Regan have long been bound for greatness. Their two EPs – 2019’s Terrible Hands and 2020’s isolation • content – are both magnificent displays of talent marrying substance with melody, meaning with sound.
“Small Talk” all but ensures the band’s forthcoming LP will be one of the most exciting releases of the year: No one captures a world of raw emotion quite as beautifully, nor as viscerally, as Soda Blonde.
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Stream: “Small Talk” – Soda Blonde
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