Every Friday, Atwood Magazine’s staff share what they’ve been listening to that week – a song, an album, an artist – whatever’s been having an impact on them, in the moment.
This week’s weekly roundup features music by Glass Animals, ILLIT, Ananya, Daniel Ellsworth & The Great Lakes, Grace Annabella Anderson, Trestles, Fime, Siichaq, HOLYMAMI, The Moss, Planet of Souls & Lily Papas, The Marigolds, Harlequiin & NYM, MORN, La Raca Flaca, & Drauve!
•• •• •• ••
follow WEEKLY ROUNDUP on Spotify
•• ••
:: “Vampire Bat” – Glass Animals ::
Mitch Mosk, Beacon, New York
You can’t stake this one through the heart – mainly because it’s already pulsing in my veins. “Vampire Bat” sinks its teeth in from the very first beat – all slick bass lines, supple grooves, and that inimitable Glass Animals alchemy of surrealism and seduction. It’s a track with fangs – and the more you listen, the deeper they sink in.
Peter Piper picked a pickled pepper and he went off
Butcher, baker, candle maker thirsty for the power
Bouncing ’round the room with a supersonic blaster
Eating up the doom as the clock is ticking faster
A kiwi is a cross of a strawberry and a lime
So detuned that the truth is a tight line
Giving titty twisters like you’re stuck in 1999
Ate what you fed me, poot, poot, it’s a gold lime
Released August 8th, “Vampire Bat” is the British band’s first original song of the year (following a string of remixes this past spring) and the fifth installment in Glass Animals’ ever-experimental Fresh Fruit series – a playground for collaborations, sonic curveballs, and frontman Dave Bayley’s most uninhibited bursts of creativity. This time, he’s teamed up with Rob Bisel (SZA’s producer and Kendrick Lamar’s engineer) to whip up a lush, scintillating groove that blurs the lines between heat waves and hallucination.
Lean back just like that
Push me down, make me do that dance
Oh, squeeze that, no more hands
Bit my lip like a vampire bat
Now lean back just like that
Push me down, make me do that dance
Oh, squeeze that, no more hands
Bit my lip like a vampire
“Vampire Bat” is as fiery as it is fun, with its dreamy, quirky production recalling the sounds of 2016’s How to Be a Human Being. As he did throughout that album, Dave Bayley laces the new track with colorful non sequiturs and sly cultural nods (“A kiwi is a cross of a strawberry and a lime, so detuned that the truth is a tight line”), letting his words toe the line between absurdist whimsy and pointed commentary.
It’s playful, but there’s bite beneath the hot sugar. The refrain (“Bet you feel like a rock star, don’t you now? I know you get off every time you get me down”) lands with a cunning edge, turning swagger into something more sinister. Rob Bisel’s co-production keeps the atmosphere humid and heady, layering textures that shimmer and sway with sweaty brilliance.
Bet you feel like a rock star, don’t you now?
I know you get off every time you get me
Down like a rock star gone too far
You got us all living on a seesaw now
Like a rock star, don’t you now?
I know you get off every time you get me
Down like a rock star gone too far
You got us all living on a seesaw now
Even at its most cryptic, “Vampire Bat” radiates that kaleidoscopic, deeply human charm that has long set Glass Animals apart – a feverish blend of lust, wit, and technicolor pop invention. It’s a reminder that for all their eccentricities, they’re still masters of crafting songs that stick, seduce, and surprise in equal measure.
:: “빌려온 고양이 (Do the Dance)” – ILLIT ::
Danny Vagnoni, Philadelphia
The viral success of Sony’s K-pop Demon Hunters has drawn me back into a stable Lagrange orbit of k-pop, and ILLIT’s “빌려온 고양이 (Do the Dance)” is my moon. This track encapsulates what I love about the genre, as much as the sprawl of k-pop can even be neatly contained within such a label (it cannot).
And that thing I love is anachronism. K-pop, unlike the highly polished and risk averse sensibility of “Western” pop (another term of convenience; sorry), is temporally and generically agnostic – and exuberantly so. “빌려온 고양이” (RR: billyeoon goyangi, lit. “borrowed cat”) starts with what I first mistook as the melodramatic strings of a ’70s disco classic, or possibly an homage to Gloria Gainer’s “I Will Survive” (which, three years ago, ILLIT’s contemporaries IVE did sample). I was wrong. The eloquent string sample anchoring “빌려온 고양이” comes from “Elegant Escape,” a track from a 1989 mecha anime The Five Star Stories. What a cool lineage.
Before long, the song leaps into a joyful future funk love letter as the speaker pleads with herself to live in the moment and dance and not feel like such an awkward “rent-a-cat” around her crush. With lyrics by Huh Yunjin of Le Sserafim, the song is trilingual, another electrifying oddity, weaving breezily from Korean to French to English. Dancefloor bass flirts with mecha anime strings, which in turn wink at the effervescent vocal performances from ILLIT. A bright, eccentric gem for summer listening and awkward humans, “빌려온 고양이” deserves a listen or ten.
:: “Falling” – Ananya ::
Danielle Holian, Galway, Ireland
Ananya’s latest single “Falling” is a glossy, emotionally conflicted slice of alt-pop that lands somewhere between late-night vulnerability and dancefloor release. Rooted in the emotional tension of catching feelings when you least expect, or want, to, the track captures the chaos of timing gone wrong. Slick production threads through with a muted groove, balancing infectious rhythms against lyrical self-restraint. There’s a refined minimalism at work here: every beat feels intentional, every word edged with quiet conflict. It’s pop, yes, but pop that aches a little, that dances with a lump in its throat.
Rising out of Zimbabwe and now based in London, Ananya is carving out a lane all her own, where confessional songwriting meets polished sonic ambition. With “Falling”, she leans into the in-between, heartache in motion, yearning laced with composure. Following earlier releases like Emotions and All That Glitters Isn’t Gold, this track feels like a statement of artistic clarity. It teases a new era in her evolution, one marked by restraint, groove, and a willingness to let uncertainty sing. If this is the first taste of her 2026 EP, Ananya is setting the emotional temperature just right, simmering, soulful, and impossible to ignore.
:: “Keep It Cool” – Daniel Ellsworth & The Great Lakes ::
Chloe Robinson, California
Daniel Ellsworth & The Great Lakes funk-fueled track “Keep It Cool” examines the back and forth between craving and self-control. The piece captures an intense longing while striving to maintain a casual, effortless façade. The sultry, soulful vocals paired with vibrant, catchy sonics make this release a bright and alluring listen. The band shared about the single, “’KEEP IT COOL’ is an unreleased track we pulled from the DE+TGL vault. It didn’t quite fit on the album, but we had so much fun making this one we didn’t want to just let it sit on a hard drive collecting dust.”
“Keep It Cool” is off of HIGH(er) LIFE – the deluxe version of their album HIGH LIFE. The indie rock outfit was formed in Nashville but is now spread across the country. The magnetic trio is celebrated for their electrifying performances, soul-searching songwriting, and an offbeat captivation that’s impossible to ignore. “Keep It Cool” possesses that same irresistible charm.
:: “Love Potion” – Grace Annabella Anderson ::
Josh Weiner, Washington DC
“The city is hot” is one of the lyrics of this song that caught my eye – it’s going up to 95 degrees in Boston on the day that I write this – but what really commanded my attention was the seriously incredible vocal performance by leading lady Grace Annabella Anderson of New York City. Her singing is perfectly complimented by the bright, uplifting beat by Thomas Dulin, who produced this fine work out of The Planetarium studio in Nashville.
The song’s lyrics largely talk about the “Love Potion” referenced in its title taking effect– “You’re mesmerized, you’re all I wanted” and “I’m reading my maps, they lead me to the center, the middle of you” serving as examples of said effects. Anderson has an extensive background in both singing and poetry, and the results of that training are readily visible on a single like this that impresses on both the lyrical and vocal front. Her catalogue is limited to one EP and a couple singles at the moment, but songs like “Love Potion” demonstrate that she has the capability to take her body of work to greater, more dazzling heights.
:: “Bones” – Trestles ::
Julius Robinson, California
Santa Cruz’s own beach rock project, Trestles, pays homage to the West Coast garage rock roots. “Bones” is a single that blends deep nostalgia with a fresh, modern edge. The lyrics paint a vivid picture, immersing us in the heart of nature. Lines like, “I just want to see, the rising son against the trees,” craft a stunning and tranquil scene. Listeners soak in the beauty of the wistful melodies and soundscapes that feel beachy and bright.
Trestles, forming in 2021, consists of Hunter Kelly (vocals/guitar), Sophia Wall (bass/vocals), Jackson Jones (guitar/vocals), and Malena Clark (drums/vocals). Blending the timeless charm of 1960s musicianship with the raw energy of modern garage rock and catchy pop elements, the band creates a sound that is absolutely irresistible. “Bones” is a track filled with profound layers and with each listen you will be more and more entranced.
:: “Soft Science” – Fime ::
Mitch Mosk, Beacon, New York
Fime’s “Soft Science” starts like a spark in the dark and ends in full-on eruption – a four-minute shapeshifter that smolders, builds, and bursts without a hint of compromise. Fime’s latest single is molten and unrelenting, shifting from embers to inferno as vocalist Beto Brakmo belts, “In the moment, in the middle of the night, I saw a rattle around, I saw the spark of a light…” It’s aching, visceral, and cathartic in that way where the burn almost feels good, leaving you stranded in its intensity even after the last note fades.
Higher education
Ain’t nobody’s fool to think I
Never wanted to change
Find a way to get here
Find a ride to school in hopes
of federal minimum wage
Always reassured
but very seldom self-reflective
What kind of child would you raise?
Standing on the river
Laying on the ground
I think that water can’t clean your age
“I think the song deals with trying to understand yourself in the modern world,” Brakmo says. “I named the song ‘Soft Science’ as a jab because while I respect and think the world of psychology is fundamentally good, the answers to your problems are truly unknowable… For all we write down, examine, and test, we are just humans trying to pull answers from an answerless void. But also, I just thought that the phrase ‘Soft Science’ was really beautiful sounding.”
Higher education
Always played the fool to think I
Truly wanted the change
Every day we get here
Every time we saw the brittle
Broken parts of my cage
I picked the wrong road
I picked the person who I thought I’d be
I picked the wrong life
Did I choose it or did it choose me?
“Soft Science” is a standout from the band’s forthcoming sophomore album Just Can’t Win (out September 5) – their heaviest, most thematically charged record yet. Rooted in LA’s indie punk underground and inspired by bands like Rilo Kiley, Militarie Gun, and Guided By Voices, Fime channel both desperation and release here, their melodic fuzz and existential crunch landing like a gut punch before soaring into the night.
It’s a song about wrestling with your own unknowability – and finding power, or maybe just a strange kind of peace, in the fact that you’ll never have all the answers.
In the moment
In the middle of the night
I saw a rattle around
I saw the spark of a light
In the moment in the middle of that sleepless night
What’s in heaven?
Just a trick of the eye
A simple, ocular glimpse
Laying half-creamed eyes
In a second in the presence of that distant light
:: “Project 3” – Siichaq ::
Mitch Mosk, Beacon, New York
Brooding, hypnotic, and heavy, Siichaq’s “Project 3” sounds like the slow, steady pull of a rip current – a dark, droning tide that drags you deeper with every breath. It’s angsty alternative rock with weight in its bones, carried in frontwoman Kennie Mason’s bruised, aching voice and in the layered electric guitars that cry, glitch, and pulse with a sinister heat. There’s yearning here, and doubt, and the kind of pain that comes from wanting something so badly it begins to sour.
A highlight off her recently-released sophomore album Catcher, “Project 3” finds Mason – who records as Siichaq – at her most stripped and exposed.
“I wrote ‘Project 3’ about wanting,” Mason says. “More specifically, it’s about the kind of want that, if you chew on it for long enough, turns into resentment… As an artist, there are often long periods of waiting, and those are the times that wear me down. It got pretty bad while we were working on Catcher, because I was waiting for mixes, masters, or the next recording dates, which were pretty spread out.”
“In those stretches, when there was nothing tangible for me to work on, I walked around outside and begged, quite literally, for the universe to give me a sign that I was doing the right thing, that I might actually feel like I’d accomplished what I’d set out to do as an artist someday. It felt ridiculous, because I am not a very spiritual person, and the universe doesn’t owe me an explanation. But I did it, because it was the only thing to do.”
“‘Project 3’ is a kind of chant, I guess, out into the void, saying: Please tell me that this is all for something. Please give me a sign so I know I’m on the right path. Please let me earn what I want. Please don’t leave me in the dark.”
While Catcher as an album has been lovingly – and faithfully – described as “grungy and bleeding” by the artist herself, its third track takes those descriptions to the nth level – and the wondrous results. The song’s hypnotic repetition (“Please, please, please…”) becomes both a plea and a pulse, a minimalist shoegaze prayer to a silent universe. In its murky sonic world, somewhere between grungy slacker rock and blown-out despondency, every note feels like it’s teetering between collapse and catharsis.
It’s the sound of not knowing if the universe is listening – and asking anyway.
:: TRAP THERESA – HOLYMAMI ::
Danielle Holian, Galway, Ireland
HOLYMAMI erupts onto the scene with TRAP THERESA, a defiant, genre-smashing EP that doesn’t just blur lines, it sets them ablaze. Fusing the aggression of punk, the swagger of rap, and the distortion-heavy grit of rock and nu-metal, HOLYMAMI delivers a five-track manifesto dripping with emotion, rebellion, and radical self-expression. From the unapologetic battle cry of “WOMAN MYTH AND LEGEND” to the chaotic, controlled burn of “BLEEDLESS”, the EP is as raw as it is electrifying. Her bold reinterpretation of Nine Inch Nails’ “HEAD LIKE A HOLE” is both homage and reinvention, laced with her own fury and soul, while “FADING” closes the record with haunting vulnerability, revealing an artist unafraid to show her wounds beneath the war paint.
What makes TRAP THERESA unforgettable isn’t just its sonic ferocity, it’s HOLYMAMI’s ability to channel both chaos and clarity into every note. She’s not just making music; she’s building a mythos. The EP feels like a ritual, each track a different offering at the altar of rage, resilience, and rebirth. With a voice that can snarl, soar, and seduce, HOLYMAMI has created a body of work that’s fearless and unfiltered, spiritual and streetwise. TRAP THERESA, is a genre-bending, soul-shaking testament to what happens when an artist tears off the rules and dares to scream her truth into the void.
:: “Darkness” – The Moss ::
Chloe Robinson, California
Ever feel like you want to give someone your all, but need to get your emotions in check first? The Moss’ new single “Darkness” is about just that. The radiant, energetic backdrop gives the piece a feeling of hopefulness within the self-doubt. The song provides powerful, expressive vocals that ooze with pure infection. Tyke James of the band reveals, “Darkness is written as this cyclical thought, of caring deeply about someone, but needing space from them to sort out your own emotions.”
Tyke James (vocals/guitar) infuses The Moss’s vibrant, sun-drenched sound with his own lived experiences and heartfelt passions. Influenced by greats like Pinegrove and Kevin Morby, they channel a similar indie sensibility while carving out a sound that’s distinctly their own. You can hear that unique quality in the heated soul of “Darkness.”
:: “One” – Planet of Souls ft. Lily Papas ::
Danielle Holian, Galway, Ireland
With their latest single “One,” Planet of Souls, the boundary-blurring project from veteran producers Paul Rogers and Tom Barlow, delivers a cinematic slow-burn that feels both otherworldly and profoundly human. Featuring the ethereal vocals of Australian songstress Lily Papas, the track is a sweeping meditation on connection in a fractured world. Warming piano lines, swelling strings and a rich undercurrent of sub bass form the emotional bedrock of this ambient-electronic ballad, while Papas’ haunting voice rises like a flare in the dark, clear, aching, and unforgettable. Rooted in the emotional turbulence of recent years, “One” reads like a love letter to shared vulnerability, a sonic salve for collective disquiet.
As heard on Netflix’s The Survivors, which catapulted the track into the global spotlight, “One” marks a defining moment in the Planet of Souls project, a fusion of craft, soul, and artistic freedom. Rogers and Barlow’s decades of experience quietly underpin every moment, not with flash but with feeling, allowing the music’s emotional intelligence to lead. The result is a track that stands comfortably beside peers like London Grammar and Jon Hopkins while carving its own space through Lily Papas’ intimate yet expansive performance. Planet Of Souls isn’t just a collaboration; it’s a communion, and with “One,” they remind us that even in solitude, we’re never truly alone.
:: “Home” – The Marigolds ::
Mitch Mosk, Beacon, New York
Breathtakingly intimate and brutally vulnerable, “Home” is The Marigolds at their most raw – a confessional indie rock ballad that aches with the sobering sting of real life. 20-year-old singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist Lucas Mangum spills his head and his heart out in waves, channeling the heaviness of depression and the hard-won perspective that followed into a song that hurts in all the right ways. Musically, it sits somewhere between the warm grit of Nirvana and the open-hearted punch of early 2000s pop/rock, but at its core, this is an unfiltered alt-rock catharsis.
Music has been part of Mangum’s identity for as long as he can remember. “I’ve always felt like music was my first love,” he tells Atwood Magazine. “I remember telling everyone at my kindergarten meet and greet that I wanted to be a rockstar, and racing home to set pillows up on the couch like a drum set. I’d turn on Nirvana’s Nevermind and play it over and over and over, and then a little bit more. That part of me never changed, but almost everything else has. I’ve grown a lot since kindergarten, which means I’ve had to deal with a lot of the obstacles life tends to throw at you the longer you live.”
“One of those obstacles, for me, was a severe bout of depression my senior year of high school,” Mangum continues. “I’d never been an anxious or depressed person; honestly, I barely understood what it meant. That all changed for me that year. Things got really bad, really fast, and I think that part of the intensity of what I was dealing with had a lot to do with my inexperience with this specific struggle. Long story long, I ended up going away to residential treatment, which isn’t somewhere I ever would have seen myself. I was away from home for a few months, and honestly, for a bit there, even when I was home I felt pretty far away.”
It was in that disorienting aftermath – still reeling, still searching for footing – that “Home” first took shape.
“The day I got back from treatment, I picked up my guitar and wrote the first song that ever meant anything to me. I’d written songs through high school, but mostly just slapped some lyrics on a big cheesy guitar riff and called it done. If you’ve heard the new EP, you might know what I’m getting at. The song I wrote the day I got back home was ‘Home.’ Before that day, I’d been in such a haze that I didn’t even listen to music. This thing that meant so much to me was completely backburnered by what was going on in my life. It sucked… Now that I was back home, I couldn’t find much else to do but write, so that’s what I did.”
The song sat quietly for two years, a snapshot of pain he wasn’t sure he was ready to share – until time, growth, and perspective pushed him to revisit it.
“That was two years ago now, and obviously a lot has changed even more. At that point I was back home, but I definitely wasn’t all that much better, and I think the first version of the song is pretty indicative of that. So now two years later, my perspective has changed and I’ve worked hard to get to a better place. I’d originally disregarded the song because it was too personal, or some bullshit like that. I didn’t want people to hear it because I didn’t want to tell that story. Then I was looking through old demos a few months ago, came across it, and realized that there was something there. I took the first verse and the chorus of the song, the one I’d written that day I got home, and then rewrote the second verse with my newfound perspective on life.”
“Now, the song represents my journey through my struggle to date, and feels more hopeful than it did the day I wrote it. As much as that period of my life was awful, and I’d never want to go back, I look at this song and can’t help but think of the fact that something light came out of that darkness. This song is my silver lining, and I hope it encourages anyone listening to look for the silver lining in their struggles. I’m no different than anyone else, we all go through shit that sucks, but I think it’s so incredibly important to find that silver lining. Nothing is for nothing. All of you are awesome, and I’m so thankful that you’re here listening.”
From its birth in an aftermath and homecoming, to its release this year on The Marigolds’ The Silver Lining EP, “Home” preserves the raw pain of its original form while reshaping its ending into something resilient and resolute. Over jagged guitars and propulsive drums, Mangum’s voice cuts through – first pleading, then affirming, “Now I’m home again, set me free, there’s nothing wrong again, nothing wrong with me.”
It’s a song about survival and perspective – proof that even the darkest chapters can lead to something worth singing about.
:: “I Bet The Dealer Has Deleted Me” – Harlequiin x NYM ::
Danielle Holian, Galway, Ireland
Harlequiin’s latest single, “I Bet The Dealer Has Deleted Me,” is a mezmerising slice of alternative-electronic brilliance that showcases both artistic depth and emotional resonance. Crafted by multi-instrumentalist and producer Rory Simmons and featuring the smoky, spellbinding vocals of NYM, the track unfolds like a haunting inner monologue: seductive, brooding, and laced with soul. Harlequiin’s trademark fusion of textured electronica and jazz-rooted musicianship is front and centre, delivering a soundscape that feels both intricate and effortlessly fluid. Lo-fi beats shuffle beneath layers of analogue synths and live instrumentation, creating an immersive listening experience that draws you in deeper with every listen.
NYM’s vocal performance is a revelation; velvety, vulnerable, and strikingly intimate. Her interpretation of the track as an internal dialogue about mental health adds an emotional gravity that elevates the song far beyond the ordinary. With a history of performing alongside some of the world’s biggest names, her presence here feels both commanding and delicate, perfectly complementing Simmons’ forward-thinking production. This release is a hypnotic and compelling vignette of personal reckoning, pushing boundaries while remaining deeply human. It’s another bold, genre-defying moment in Harlequiin’s ever-evolving sonic journey.
:: “Modern Man” – MORN ::
Mitch Mosk, Beacon, New York
With guitars that snarl, rhythms that pound, and a tension that refuses to let go, MORN arrive this year like a shot of adrenaline straight to the system – a feverish indie rock debut that churns and churns, rising to a breakneck fever pitch that’s as alluring and all-consuming as it is utterly anxiety-inducing. Released May 29th via Speedy Wunderground, “Modern Man” is the kind of debut that doesn’t just knock – it kicks the door clean off its hinges. Raw and relentless, it churns like a storm front rolling in, spurred by MORN’s instinct for urgency and unrest.
Comprised of Oliver Riba (vocals, guitar), Robert Riba (vocals, guitar),Mae Ryder (vocals, bass), and Noah Ryder (drums) – two sets of siblings from South Wales – the band call their sound “doom over beautiful chords,” and you can hear that duality here: The guitars are jagged but melodic, the rhythms frenzied but deliberate, and the whole thing burns with an energy that’s as alluring as it is anxiety-inducing.
I want to
Get away from here
It’s a strange place
Get me out of here
There are people dying
And they can’t breathe
What a world we’re living in
What a place to be
I saw you
At the gallery
You had a strange face,
You were on your knees
There were people praying
They cried out to me:
“What have I become, what have I become?”
“We see ‘Modern Man’ as a reminder of the urgency of everyday life, and how hard it is to escape uncanny normality,” MORN share. “In a time where the collapse of the human race is looming, ‘Modern Man’ serves as a direct response to this sense of impending doom we are all subject to.” That looming dread seeps into every moment – the restless riffs, the propulsive bass lines, the unflinching gang vocal that shouts, “Life is shit when you’re all alone, but it’s fine.”
Life is shit when you’re all alone, but it’s fine
I wanna go home and call it a day, half-past nine
I wish I was asleep cos you’re in my dreams
and you’re all that I think about
I wish I was asleep cos you’re in my dreams
and you’re all that I think about
It’s a song built on contradictions: feral yet precise, chaotic yet cathartic. “‘Modern Man’ came from the wild urgency of our lives,” says vocalist/guitarist Oliver Riba. “Born from teenage riffs, shaped by laughter, anger, and fear… It’s a desperate sprint through the loneliness and madness of routine, a strange reflection on the dream of escape.” Captured live with Dan Carey at the helm, the track sprints forward like it’s racing the clock, tumbling into an unhinged, breathless finale of la la la’s that feel less like a singalong than a release valve.
“Modern Man” is not just a first single – it’s a mission statement. In just over four minutes, MORN carve out a sound that’s unfiltered, magnetic, and impossible to ignore, leaving you both exhilarated and a little bit scorched. If this is how they introduce themselves, the rest of the world better start running to catch up.
:: “Peaks and Valleys” – La Raca Flaca ::
Chloe Robinson, California
La Raca Flaca’s single “Peaks and Valleys” is a stirring melodic pop anthem that will have you believing in the immense power of love. With lyrics that emphasize connection, commitment, and emotional strength, it’s a tribute to relationships that endure against the odds. Her velvety, emotive vocals glide over hypnotic, percussive soundscapes, drawing the listener deeper with every note. The visuals place her in breathtaking natural landscapes, enhancing the song’s beauty.
Rachel Scutti, who performs under the name La Raca Flaca, grew up in New Jersey. From a young age, she had a passion for writing lyrics and crafting melodies, often recording her creations on cassette tapes. However, she kept this talent private and never shared it publicly. It was not until she moved to Los Angeles that she began releasing singles including one of her most popular ones, Mr. Golden Sun. Her music now mirrors her path, marked by strength, exploration, and bold honesty. “Peaks and Valleys” is a prime representation of that.
:: “Wool” – Drauve ::
Mitch Mosk, Beacon, New York
While songs bloom in warmth, “Wool” burns in the cold light of betrayal. Drauve’s first release since their 2024 debut No Hope for Anything is at once haunting and cinematic – a shoegaze-laced fever dream that aches inside and out, its beauty sharpened by the sting of personal truth. Swelling waves of guitar and reverb wash over Victoria Draovitch’s searing vocals, each line heavy with the weight of knowing and the ache of not saying.
“‘Wool’ was inspired by feeling betrayed,” Draovitch, who performs in Drauve together with guitarist Stephen Grzenda, tells Atwood Magazine. “It’s about someone turning on you, talking about you behind your back, but continuing to play the role of friend to your face… There’s this frustration because you can’t quite prove it, but you can start to tell by the way they treat you… making snide comments or subtle jokes about you in front of others, then acting like a supportive confidant when you’re hanging out alone.”
“In this song, I’m imagining myself fully confronting the people who have treated me this way, because I didn’t actually do it in real life. The line ‘it’s like the kind of dream where you just wanna scream but nothing comes out’ encompasses that. A lot of times I just let things go and let anger build up inside of me over the course of my life. This song is about releasing that anger.”
That tension – the push-and-pull between silence and the urge to speak – crackles through every verse, especially as Draovitch sings, “I don’t wanna hear your cover ups, your fabricated version of the truth / I would have never done this to you.” As the song swells, the band harness the duality they’ve made their signature: Delicate, ethereal textures pierced by moments of raw, unfiltered release.
A tender tempest calling to mind the likes of Slow Pulp, Mannequin Pussy, and Softcult, “Wool” is Drauve at their most visceral – a cathartic reckoning dressed in dreamlike distortion. It lingers like smoke, a reminder that some wounds keep burning long after the fire’s out.
— — — —
Connect to us on
Facebook, Twitter, Instagram
Discover new music on Atwood Magazine
:: Weekly Roundup ::
follow WEEKLY ROUNDUP on Spotify
:: This Week’s Features ::
