FOR FANS OF: Babes In Toyland, Sonic Youth, Pearl Jam
Velvet Skyline - a female-fronted, alternative rock band from Denton, Texas released track "Circles" on January 22nd, 2021. It's the lead single of their upcoming debut album - What We Have In Common, which comes out next Friday on February 5th, 2021. "Circles" is a progressive and grunge influenced track, as the rest of the album is as well. Velvet Skyline consist of Taylor Seerden (vocals), Hunter Puentes (lead guitar), Nate Martinez (bass), and Chris Ortiz (drums).
"Circles" is a song about wanting things to happen, about being done waiting endlessly - let it be in love or in life. It's about feeling frustrated and being sick of it all. It's a track that's intensely emotional and strong. I can hear Pearl Jam in it. I can hear Nirvana in it. That energy - the heaviness of life - is felt throughout the lyrics, in the guitar. It's so refreshing to hear this kind of music, even more so that it's from a female-fronted band.
The second verse - "...hey you, while you're standing there, can you compliment my hair, or something?" hits me in a way that feels like I'm reading from my own journal. I know that feeling all too well. That feeling when you like somebody so much, and all you want from them is the bare minimum, like a goodnight text back, but you rarely ever receive that. You should move on because they clearly don't feel the same way. But you think about them over and over, wishing you're right in believing that they do like you back, you're so tired of yearning for them, but the truth is they don't and won't ever like you back. You're - like the track says - running in circles and done with waiting for them to be yours, it's not worth it. You deserve better.
"Circles" is a track that I love so much. It feels like a song you'd find on a mixtape that was left in a pocket on a old jean jacket that hasn't been touched since the 90s, hanging back deep in the racks of a vintage thrift store. It feels familiar in a good way, in a way that feels like home. Songs like these - ones that you can relate just a bit too much, and can transport you to a different time entirely, are so rare to find and very special.
"This is an album for anyone who may be lost now, but knows that sooner or later things are going to make sense, and everything will be okay."
I'm very excited for their album next week, What We Have In Common. It's said to take listeners on an emotional journey, an edgy, coming-of-age-story, in a punk, grungy musical style. About the record, Velvet Skyline said "This album is all about growing into yourself. There are themes of falling in love, as well as falling out of love; themes of becoming an adult and realizing how tough it can be. This is an album for anyone who may be lost now, but knows that sooner or later things are going to make sense, and everything will be okay."
Velvet Skyline use music like most of us do - as a form of escape and therapy. If this record is anything like this track, then I'm absolutely here for it. "Circles" is a vivid, strong track, one that has such an emotional pull on me, a pull that I truly can't get over. This song is amazing, this band is so promising. Next Friday can't come sooner.
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