Today’s Song: FLOOR CRY and Vansire’s “Next Best Thing” Is Here

On their second collaboration, FLOOR CRY and Vansire are feeling the disconnect in new single “Next Best Thing.”

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Stream: “Next Best Thing” – FLOOR CRY & Vansire

It’s difficult to create a second collaboration that’s just as flawless as the first, but dream pop acts Vansire and FLOOR CRY have not merely succeeded in doing so; they’ve excelled. Vansire, composed of best friends Josh Augustin and Sam Winemiller, recently joined forces with FLOOR CRY’S Felicia Sekundiak to drop yet another dreamy, DIY-style, direct tune. The song, entitled “Next Best Thing,” arrives a little more than two years after the groups teamed up to release their first song together, “Nice to See You.”

Released April 17, “Next Best Thing” has everything a languishing love song must, but it doesn’t sound like a sad track upon first listening to it. The longing and sadness in the lyrics is masked under an uptempo beat and vibrant cover art. The track features a back-and-forth dialogue between two romantically involved individuals, but this tension is only revealed through the lyrics, which are responsible for pushing the song sonically and lyrically forward. It is a song about dissonance, disconnection, the space between two people who are in irrevocably different headspaces.

I like holding your hand
But it hurts oh I can’t stand
To see you, to feel you
My insides are turning blue
I like the way that you walk
Sometimes I wish you’d never stop
My heart aches, my bones break
With each little move you make

The song opens with piano, and Sekundiak’s earnest, crystal-clear voice. “I like holding your hand // But it hurts oh I can’t stand // To see you // To feel you // My insides are turning blue,” she sings. Immediately, she establishes that though she enjoys being with the person she’s romantically connected with (“I like holding your hand”), it isn’t a healthy situation (“My insides are turning blue”). She continues with, “I like the way that you walk // Sometimes I wish you’d never stop // My heart aches // My bones break // With each little move you make.” Again, she demonstrates that though there are aspects about this relationship that she enjoys, there are others that make her “heart ache.”

I can’t help
I can’t really help it
You make me feel like –

Finally, Augustin chimes in and adds another layer of complexity to the situation, with him and Sekundiak singing together, “I can’t help // I can’t really help it // You make me feel like…” This leads up to the back and forth between the duo, which Sekundiak starts by singing, “You’re waiting for the next best thing.” Augustin replieds to this, “Something had to change.” Sekundiak retorts with, “A girl you’d give a diamond ring,” which reveals that she doesn’t believe their relationship to have long term potential — at least, not in his eyes, since she doesn’t feel he’d ever propose to her. Augustin sings, “It’s kinda hard to explain,” to which Sekundiak replies, “I’m not mad that you don’t adore me.” Augustin has his own reaction to that, and sings, “Wish you told me.” The chorus finishes with her singing, “But when I’m with you I feel lonely,” and him singing, “But when you’re with me I feel lonely.”

You’re waiting for the next best thing
(Something had to change)
A girl you’d give a diamond ring
(It’s kinda hard to explain)
I’m not mad that you don’t adore me
(Wish you told me)
But when I’m with you I feel lonely
Oh

There’s a lot to digest in the chorus, which essentially sets up the framework of why their relationship is doomed to end. She believes that he doesn’t have strong enough feelings for her, and though she doesn’t resent him for it (“I’m not mad that you don’t adore me”), she does feel that he’s simply buying time until someone who he’d be more compatible with comes along – someone he’d “give a diamond ring.” There’s a dissonance between how Sekundiak feels and how Augustin feels, and that is documented in the form of an upbeat, poppy tune in this chorus. And though there’s a dissonance between their feelings, there’s also a unifying factor – they’re both unhappy in the relationship, and know that something isn’t right. This paradox carries the entire song.

I’ve been staring outside
Spare time was thinking i could find
Where leaves blow
Where the weeks go
When the snow comes to dampen your fall
Far from the life that we knew
Months hurtle by and I barely see you
So I’ve been down
Dumb as it sounds
When you’re with me you’re somebody else

The next few lyrics open up the opportunity for Augustin to share his opinion on the disconnect between the two. He describes staring outside, and the passage of time, ultimately admitting that “Months hurtle by and I barely see you // So I’ve been down // Dumb as it sounds // When you’re with me you’re somebody else.” Though it’s unclear as to if this relationship is long distance or not, that idea gets subtly suggested with Augustin notes that he has barely seen her in months, and resultedly, when they’re together, he isn’t sure who she really is.

The ending portion of the song is particularly noteworthy. She reiterates, “Oh you’re waiting for the next best thing,” and he interjects,”You’re saying hi to your friends.” This reveals that while she feels he’s waiting for the next best thing, she’s distracted, and he feels perhaps isn’t even putting the effort into whatever “they” are. The next lyric is a play on words, with Sekundiak singing, “The table won’t know what to bring.” Augustin mutters, “Not nice to see you again.” This can be interpreted as a reference to their earlier track, “Nice to See You,” and suggest that the song is perhaps a sort of sequel or follow-up. Sekundiak then laments the confusion she has regarding what he wants from her, singing “Your intentions are so damn hazy // I wish you’d let your guard get lazy.” This sentiment again demonstrates a lack of understanding for both people – she has no clear what it is he desires from her, and she wishes he’d let his guard down. Meanwhile, he is singing, “Though it pains me.” What “it” precisely refers to is unclear, but perhaps “it” means saying goodbye to their relationship.

Oh you’re waiting for the next best thing
(You’re saying hi to your friends)
The table won’t know what to bring
(Not nice to see you again)
Your intentions are so damn hazy
(Though it pains me)
I wish you’d let your guard get lazy
Oh

“Next Best Thing” balances its warm, upbeat vibe with lyrics that reveal a cold rift between a relationship. This track is intimate, and feels equal parts like eavesdropping on someone’s thoughts or reading their diary. It’s a stirring, heartbreakingly honest song that demonstrates how taxing it can be to be in a relationship that isn’t working – for whatever reason.

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:: stream/purchase Next Best Thing here ::

Stream: “Next Best Thing” – FLOOR CRY & Vansire

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