Songs of the Week: VNXI, Adam Spry, & Strange Familia

Welcome to Songs of the Week, a running series with new selections.

VNXI – “When We Go Out”

Neon hues circle overhead, mingling with the tingle of alcohol on the lips. Love can be seen scattered between barstools and booths, and the night seems to sweep out limitlessly ahead. With “When We Go Out,” indie-rock band VNXI reflects upon those late-night reveries that hit like bolts of lightning in the wee hours of the morning. “We are the moment to moment, searching the rubble and dust / When we go out, we’re looking for us,” wails Kurtis Wade in the song’s final moments. The boisterous production falls away, and his voice, untethered, soars above the clouds.

Adam Spry – “Cruel Dream”

In “Cruel Dream,” Adam Spry doesn’t know what’s real. He wanders aimlessly across a dusty, hypnotic highway, leaving pieces of self littered among tumbleweeds and abandoned towns. The pitter-patter of drums corals his voice and drives it along, subtly propulsive yet languid. “Nothing’s quite what it seems, slightly off-kilter,” he whispers through the instrumental smoke. “The rose-colored streets, I had a hard time walking alone, unknown.” Spry’s mind quickly slips from his grasp, tangled with the colossal heat storm blowing behind stale eyes. A haunting performance riddled with impenetrable anguish.

Strange Familia – “Honey.”

Strange Familiia‘s Garret Williams wraps up his hopes and ambitions in caramel textures. Sticky and warm, “honey.” imagines a life well-lived, despite the singer-songwriter feeling deflated by everything in his life at the time. Piano twinkles over a thick R&B backbeat, leaving Williams’ voice to feel even fuller and more exhilarating. “One for the money, honey / Two for the show / Ain’t got any money, honey / It’s just a show,” sings Williams. In oozing confidence, he makes out his life as better than it actually is. But even so, there’s a calming effect the song exudes. It’s all about the vibe, and the vibe is unapologetically addicting.

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