The Fresno, California-based up-and-coming outfit, Softener, used grunge as a conduit for their intimate amenability in their alt-indie debut single, Brindle, which hit the airwaves on May 17.
The submissive lyricism revolves around a tender mantra of “I just wanna be your dog”; Iggy Pop may have popularised that desire, but Softener brought brand-new meaning to the iteration of intent by projecting a sweet declaration of surrender that you can’t help catching feelings for. The heartfelt vulnerability in the lyrics and vocal performance, paired with the grunge-infused instrumentation creates a consoling aural escape that you’ll always feel safe within the confines of.
Whatever they have in the pipeline for their sophomore release, we already have high hopes for; they set the bar high with the sludgy melodies that are sure to be music to the ears of any fans of Elliott Smith, Teenage Fanclub, Pavement, and Sparklehorse.
Stream the debut single from Softener on Spotify now.
Review by Amelia Vandergast