Our elders like to always tell us about “the good ol’ days,” when things were simpler, love was less tawdry, and the world less corrupt. And while I think this is mostly a human construct made from rose-colored nostalgia for youth, there are certain days I’m not so sure. Though more socially backward, there was an slow-burning optimism about the world, of new technology and its capabilities for human life. Not that it’s gone, but we’ve seen that peak of newness, of progress and its purpose steadily slow in our collective imagination.
King are twins Amber and Paris Strother, and Anita Bias, the Los Angeles trio who makes music that bends with direction of the air, and a backdraft of 1970s stardust. They draw out every ounce in the simple repetition of “hey,” shaded with calm, rooted affection, that finds emotion in the details of the vocals, without tricks. It’s a love song that longs for a time of real open skies, and a sense of wonder about what’s out there. Mostly, it stays focused on the essential things we need in this life, without the distractions of all we’ve amassed.
In full disclosure, I do tend to believe that humanity, that most things at its base level stay the same within a context that changes, but still it can be nice to lean back into an idea of a simpler, rocking chair past that may or may not have existed.
Check out the rest of The Story EP over on their soundcloud, which is out now on Rough Trade. Enjoy your day.