spiderblush Paints a Moving Portrait of Coming of Age's Imperfections in 'Ways Parted'
22-year-old genre-blending artist spiderblush opens up about life’s complexities in their debut EP, Ways Parted. The project gives fans new and old a look into the raw thoughts of this rising star’s brain, portrayed through beautiful soundscapes that channel everything from shoegaze to folk to pop, to everything in between. This project dissects shifts in mindset and signals a new beginning, as it was made after spiderblush graduated from acting school in Los Angeles and relocated back to their home state of Florida to focus fully on music. With the previous release of two singles, “Big Deal” and “Nobody Else,” three new tracks fill in the blanks to showcase spiderblush’s range of talent and taste.
Ways Parted opens with “Big Deal,” a song that describes the feeling of being misled in love and putting your emotions on the line just to be met with rejection. It’s a great starting point for this transformative journey, showing spiderblush at a low point that guides the rebuilding of their self-worth. The following track “Bad Dream” channels the best of '90s dream pop, while this young songwriter navigates a toxic relationship. With dissonant vocal layering and an enthralling stripped-back pre-chorus, there’s an array of details to appreciate in what’s clearly a standout track.
“Favorite” shifts away from the darkness listeners hear in a fair amount of spiderblush’s work, showcasing a more ethereal side to their sound. It’s a mesmerizing pop-rock moment with a memorable electric guitar solo in the bridge, as they sing about being underappreciated and the realization of their own worth. There’s a push and pull, of knowing you shouldn’t care and eventually won’t, but at this moment, there’s no denying you’re still not over it.
The final track, “555,” is the perfect chapter closer to this moment in spiderblush’s artistic journey. Titled after angel numbers, spiderblush is manifesting a focus on self-assurance in their own future. There’s a haunting energy, evoked by the familiar yet distant dark guitar, drums, and intriguing distortion. spiderblush sings of loneliness, feeling numb to the passage of time, but picking their feet up to continue moving forward.
In this dissection of spiderblush’s coming-of-age, listeners will walk away with a true sense of the alternative darling’s sonic capabilities and open-hearted songwriting style. Ways Parted deals with everything there is to experience in your early 20s, a modern telling of unfulfilling love and introspection. spiderblush analyzes their confusion, the inner chaos of wanting people who aren’t good for you, aren't your type, or simply don’t make sense. With melodies that feel classic yet fresh and unique to their own perspective, this collection of songs is straight from the heart and captures spiderblush’s personal relationship to the spectrum of youthful emotion.
Listen to Ways Parted below:
