Nashville-based indie artist Meg Elsier has unleashed a piercing dream-pop-rock album, spittake.
“To be honest, I don’t think I knew what the record meant to me/what I wanted to create until it was done. I know I wanted to record an album because I felt proud of these songs and I really was craving for people to hear them. What I really was searching for was an introduction as… meg. Not someone I’m mirroring, or someone I’ve been trying to become. Just who I am genuinely at this moment.”
– Meg Elsier
‘spittake’ is a quick and powerful track. Clocking in at just over a minute, this solo turned choir piece embraces the idea of being the fool. When everything is a joke, it’s all downhill from here, right? ‘spittake’ is brief but hopeful that not taking all this TOO seriously will be enough.
Maybe it’s my Earth sign tendencies but ‘ifshitfuq’ is my favourite track of spittake. Gentle vocals meld with a confessional lamenting for movement in their life through a haze of disappointment. Anxiety dripping in dormancy, ‘ifshitfuq’ is a reflection track about what resigning yourself to others ultimately leads to, self-abandonment.
‘eastside’ is a dreamy, melancholic track about hitting bottom. The song almost sounds lonely or deserted as whoops bounce and arch over aching instrumentals. Like the middle of the night with all its echoes and coldness as the wind tears at your coat, this track cuts down to a core in you. As beautiful as it is painful, ‘eastside’ is somber yet soothing.
Opening with claps, laughter, and synth, ‘oldnews’ is a boppy, distorted track hung up on the sham of it all. While the track’s focus may be on disillusionment, the production wub, and Elsier’s fervent vocals, don’t let you drift too far down the rabbit hole. The buzz and guitar screeches cut through the track in such a way that you can’t help but dance along.
‘takeout’ is an intricate painting of life as a couple. Housework and the simple steps of everyday life and love, build to the joy of finally ordering out after a long day. As the airy vocals smash into a wall of guitar and the swell dwindles back down to ease, the ebb and flow of the track seem to wash over you in waves. There’s a sweetness and whimsy to this track that make it another stand-out on spittake.
Meg Elsier’s spittake is an outstanding entry into the shoegaze genre with no meekness in sight. Each track is commanding and compelling in its own right and with such variety that I truly believe there is something for everyone on this album. Can’t get enough? Check out her tour dates below!
Upcoming Tour Dates:
November 6 – Detroit, MI @ Lager House*
November 7 – Toronto, ON @ The Baby G*
November 8 – Montreal, QC @ Cabaret Foufounes*
November 9 – Burlington, VT @ Radio Bean*
November 11 – Somerville, MA @ The Rockwell*
November 13 – Philadelphia, PA @ Johnny Brenda’s*
November 14 – Brooklyn, NY @ Baby’s All Right*
November 15 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Club Cafe*
*supporting Finom
Follow Meg Elsier on: megelsier.com | youtube | apple music | instagram