Naptime! (Complimentary?)
[Video]
[6.17]
[6]
Alfred Soto: The interesting parts of Mazzy Star and the boring ones of Boygenius, together in an attractive streamable package.
[6]
Claire Davidson: “All I Did Was Dream of You” might well be the audio equivalent of narcotics. Beabadoobee and María Zardoya have never been the most expressive vocalists, but here they barely even sound conscious, trading maddeningly passive verses where they beg an emotionally immature partner to give them some clarity, all while secretly wishing that this person would just stick around. To complement this pervasive inaction, the two vocalists are paired with the most stock alt-rock guitar production imaginable, an approach that at least gives the track some sonic heft — this isn’t nearly as wispy as something like “No One Noticed” — but doesn’t remotely add the sort of texture or bite that could convey a real sense of urgency. The track is so sedate that I can’t even call it truly offensive, but God, I wished it was over the second I started playing it.
[4]
Nortey Dowuona: Desperation is only good on you if you can mask the smell. Most of that smell is lust, joy, excitement, tall tales and facsimiles, which just overwhelm the senses until a long hard yank from the palms removes a joint, a spine, a brain. the safety of the body is paramount in keeping the spell going for as long as possible, making sure the more cynical and skeptical are busied with little minnows swirling around their ankles to notice you sawing off their heads. But finally, the performance is cut short, abandoned, or just so rusty and stilted it cannot shake you from the fury and despair. In both Beabadoobee and Zardoya’s voice, I hear not desire or pain, but the stink of desperation. “Stay or just let me be,” they cry, but letting you be relies on leaving your dreams cooped up in the very brain they are trying to rewire, lessening contact, not regarding any pleas for reconnection. And how could I stay if I’m not leaving you be? Ask a question, the desperate will do, but they do not want a bad or mixed answer. They are simply seeking reassurance. If not given, then a flimsy castigation will follow, one that crumbles once the castigation is actually taken seriously. Bea sings of swan-like dreams, Zardoya sings of duck-like nightmares, they both sound close enough to muddle the difference, since both dreams and nightmare act as both condemnation and praise, depending on what you desire. The desperate desire for love, but every plea, coo, hum, wail confirms they will never receive it.
[10]
Julian Axelrod: When we covered “What I Want,” I noted the disconnect between two apathetic artists singing a duet about mutual passion. But compared to Beabadoobee and María Zardoya, Wallen and McRae sound like VH1 Divas Live ’98. The tapestry of soft coos and heavy guitars is never less than pleasant, and their voices compliment each other in the same way a beige couch doesn’t clash with a taupe rug. But everything about this feels passive, from the title to the chorus sentiment of “Please stay, or you can leave, no worries either way.” That said, I sent the song to my dear friend Loo, a self-proclaimed fan of “women with tiny voices,” and they loved it. So I can’t be that mad, but I also can’t be that excited, which is kind of the issue.
[5]
Ian Mathers: Two pleasant but mid tastes taste pleasantly mid together! There are, by definition, worse things.
[6]