Last week, Color Shy released their wonderful debut LP Better If It Lasts For Years. The new release comes just a few months after the North Carolina duo’s 2020 EP Strife of the Party, which included stunning lo-fi pop tracks like “Light Leak” and the jangly, high-energy “Text Ur Ex.” But while the EP seemed to be immersed in iridescent color, the LP is a bit more subtle and pastel-tinged in tone, opting for moodier synth, softer, more complex guitar melodies, and vulnerable lyrics.“Michael Cera” is one such track, primarily about “inviting someone you like to your house show and then realizing that all you did was make yourself incredibly anxious.” The synth and guitar flawlessly melt together into one gorgeous haze, providing an expanse for the vocals to settle: “Can we take this chance?/ Can I have this dance?” they shyly ask before the ethereal chorus of ooh’s and ahh’s. The last minute of the track slowly dissolves into something akin to catharsis, with a gorgeous, brilliantly textured guitar solo that appears nearly four-dimensional.
Better If It Lasts For Years is out now.
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photo courtesy of artist
kid with a vinyl 