Ullah – “Slow Motion”

Ullah Annert, a singer-songwriter from Perth, Australia, released her debut single “Slow Motion”, a track full of rich tones, amplified buildups, and a jazzy tempo. Annert delivers extra-smooth vocals for lyrics that tell a story of a narrator who is overtly longing for someone else, and the negative effects of doing so. The song starts with the implication of a heavy caffeine consumption, “She only drinks drinks that make her teeth yellow.” This causes her “brain fog” and an inability to get words out to the person of interest.

The bridge of the song features a heavy guitar solo that exudes intensity through its powerful screams and moans, yet it maintains a certain subtlety, as if there is a metaphorical barrier between it and its intended recipient. This solo perfectly complements the ideas in the lyrics of having powerful feelings inside of her head but they require a lot of labor to get out. The track ends with the repeated tragic lines, “Oh, she rots for you / Oh, she roots for you.” It is as if she’s slowly wasting away being a bystander to this person.

Sea Lemon – “Cellar”

In the reemergence of shoegaze, there is a significant amount of new artists trying to dip their feet in the genre. Sea Lemon, the moniker of Natalie Lew from Seattle, Washington, stands out as one of the artists who deserves your attention. After recently signing to Luminelle Recordings she has put out an excellent new single “Cellar”. This song deals with the intimate idea that something may be wrong with you and you’re just waiting to find out. With extra fuzzy guitars and layers upon layers of vocals, there is not much to dislike about this dreamy, atmospheric track.

In a statement about the single Lew says, “‘Cellar’ was inspired by my love of really classic horror and thriller films, like Blow Out and Misery, and how loving scary movies can sometimes feel like something is wrong with you. That idea of the ‘cellar’ in the song is based on the traditional horror trope where the protagonist can’t help but discover what’s lurking in the basement, and that what they find there often represents something really dark and horrifying.
In the lyrics, I say ‘the cellar is where I belong’ which is me grappling with this idea that sometimes really terrifying imagery interests me the most.”