Whether you’re bawling in a movie theater or casually nodding your head during a late-night drive, the end of October has brought forth a variety of singles suitable for any occasion. From the deadly landscapes of “The Hunger Games” to the similarly treacherous arenas of modern dating, new music from Gigi Perez, Gracie Abrams and Dominic Fike transports listeners to different worlds through their unique sonic atmospheres.
Gigi Perez’s “Favor”
With tracks from Stevie Nicks, The Cure, Noah Kahan and more, the upcoming soundtrack for the film “The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping” is sure to impress both music enthusiasts and the franchise’s fandom alike.
One of the newest releases from the highly anticipated record is Gigi Perez’s “Favor,” which opens with an unsettling, ethereal orchestra that crescendos before being cut off by a gasp. That’s when Perez’s beloved acoustic guitar and bare vocals take center stage.
The refrain enters like a lullaby and lulls listeners into a false sense of security before transitioning to the ominous lyrics of the second verse, with Perez singing, “Moments were stolen, put in the frame / Your voice rips through the window pane.”
The song pendulums between more heavily produced refrains and stripped, demo-sounding verses. At the end, Perez sings “When you are lonely, know I’m awake / Listen for me and the song that we sang” — a concluding line that perfectly captures the devotion, hope and utter devastation that defines the franchise’s existing music.
Gracie Abrams’s “Here You Come, There You Go”
While the first few seconds of jagged, crunchy guitars in “Here You Come, There You Go” may seem divergent from the singer’s typical indie-pop style, the artist’s vision quickly becomes clear when a keyboard-like synth suddenly enters the mix. For an artist who has been criticized for her sometimes repetitive compositions, Abrams’s newest track from “Daughter from Hell (Deluxe)” — which will be released on Nov. 20 — stays true to her signature sound while still offering a refreshingly experimental deviation from her typical instrumentation.
Like most of her discography, Abrams’s breathy vocals are at the front of the mix, reverberating through listeners’ headphones as if directly conversing with them. Before transitioning into the chorus, the vocals take on an even bigger role as Abrams sings “that’s when you decide you want more” while the rest of the instrumentation abruptly — yet briefly — cuts out.
The chorus is a delightful back-and-forth between the singer-songwriter’s high and low registers. Her vocals are dripping with exasperation as she recalls a person returning to her life after she has finally healed from them, singing “funny how it happens when I’m good, when I’m so / securely attached, I’m a double-knotted rope.”
The lyrics are just clever enough to be interesting and just simple enough to be chantable. This balance is the typical allure of Abrams’s songwriting, and her new venture into a grittier, angrier rock sound only makes the new track that much more enjoyable.
Dominic Fike’s “CASTING CALL”
With its inviting blend of indie-rock, hip-hop and R&B, Dominic Fike’s discography is one that seeps through headphones and puts listeners under a spell of hypnotic, mellow synths and guitars. While “CASTING CALL” — the fourth track off of Fike’s newest record, “HOW TO QUIT SMOKING” — offers a similarly atmospheric experience, it falls short with its unendearing repetition and lousy writing.
The song opens with a promisingly groovy bass accompanied by a simple drum track, and Fike’s washed-out vocals immediately transport listeners to a nostalgic late-night drive. The song’s laid-back instrumentation creates a euphoric, almost buzzed state of relaxation — the perfect backdrop for lighthearted conversation or casual studying.
While the track is undoubtedly a serene sonic experience worthy of any late-night driving playlist, its lyrics fall short of being memorable. Fike starts to use the metaphor of a “casting call” to illustrate the monotonous attempt at finding someone new post-breakup, but he never finishes his thought. The song’s chorus had the potential to create an intriguing and relatable visual, but rather than taking this clever opportunity and running with it, Fike has instead decided to walk.
After introducing the image of a “casting call,” singing “Like witchcraft and making movies, holding casting call,” Fike turns to irrelevant phrases such as “Back, low, (Shoo) hit it fast bro” instead of building upon what could have been a unique, memorable analogy.
Ann Gray Golpira is a Section Editor covering Arts & Culture. She is from Norfolk, Virginia and plans on concentrating in both International and Public Affairs and Anthropology. Outside of The Herald, you can find her writing, recording and producing her original music.
