Whitney share new songs ‘Memory’ and ‘County Lines’
Chicago indie rockers Whitney have a hell of a lot of material ready to go for their next LP, Spark. Even though the album has just twelve songs on it, we’ve already heard more than a full third of the upcoming release since the band has released five songs. Not that I’m complaining: the more, the merrier from a band as awesomely catchy as Whitney.
A few weeks back, we got our first preview of Spark in the form of two new songs, ‘Twirl’ and ‘Blue’. That was on top of the previously released ‘Real Love’ – if we hear one more track, we’ll have half the album already. It appeared that the band were going in a slightly more electronic direction with the new songs, and that change of sound seems to be confirmed by the latest releases, ‘Memory’ and ‘County Lines’.
‘Memory’ has a gentle groove that underscores a tale of anxiety and bad dreams. “I think I’m turning into a memory,” singer-drummer Julien Ehrlich cries out as the feeling of fading in someone’s mind begins to take over him fully. For such a heavy subject, ‘Memory’ is remarkably light in composition, with only a heady B-3 organ part going toe-to-toe with Ehrlich’s soaring vocal line. Even the lo-fi beat switch that closes the song sounds airy, right down to the heavenly string part that floats over the top of the song’s coda.
“The lyrics of ‘Memory’ illustrate someone processing and eventually accepting their fear of death,” the band explain in a press release. “Halfway through writing the song, our bandmate Will Miller sent along the chords for what would become the outro of the song without ever hearing ‘Memory.’ It was one of those harmonious moments where two separate ideas somehow fit together immediately. The final third speaking to the afterlife in a way we wouldn’t have been able to match with words.”
‘County Lines’ is slightly more acoustic, kicking off with a vocal/piano duet that lifts into another light-as-air ballad. Synthesisers bleeps masquerading as string lines hang around the edges of the composition while Ehrlich once again dives straight into heartbreak. Some jazzy trumpet gives the song’s bridge a woozy counterpoint, and by the time all the elements combine in the song’s final stretch, ‘County Lines’ lands with the kind of impact that eludes ‘Memory’.
Neither track is up there with the greatest works that Whitney has put out, but they’re doing the job they were meant to do: create some buzz around Spark. Would these songs have been better suited as hidden gems discovered on the first full listen of Spark? Undoubtedly. Is it still nice to hear them ahead of the album’s release? Sure.
Check out ‘Memory’ and ‘County Lines’ down below. Spark is set for September 16th release.
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