An evocative, perhaps nostalgic indie presentation meets with subtle yet stylish guitar play, as rising creatives The She Gulls deliver their forth single to date.
Striving for an organic arrangement but somehow bringing with that a touch of ambient embrace, The She Gulls introduce a style of songwriting that intrigues, and a vocal tone and performance akin to the sound of a simpler era. That combination of traits elevates the poetic depth and mystique of the writing, drawing you in more and more so as the track progresses, and the beauty of the guitar playing quietly interwoven amidst this shines brighter still along the way.
Featuring long-form melodies suggestive of a genuine indie freedom, Pretend You reflects on image and sense of self in a deeply personal yet also vague and relatable fashion. The result is a conceptual exploration that feels genuinely intimate but also perfectly well designed to call out on behalf of anyone lost within the uncertainty of self – consumed by the ‘collage of sadness’ that may resound in their own lives.
From delicacy to energy and back, the sections of the song pour through like waves of thought – the melody and musical intensity united as this story unravels and wraps itself around the listener.
In short, Pretend You finely captures the essence of existing somewhere between the familiar and the unknown – a quality apparent in both style and topic. The folk-esque freedom is refreshing, the guitar-play is stunning – and all the more impressive for its humble placing in the mix – and the songwriting is genuinely original.
The fourth of ten new singles slowly gracing the airwaves, Pretend You speaks volumes on what we can hopefully anticipate from The She Gulls in the coming months.
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