With their first full length lurking somewhere on the horizon, Chick Wallace are creating some of their best work yet. While Melanie Paulos’ soul-baring confessions and gift for magnetic hooks have long been the group’s defining feature, their last EP, Salt, found the Atlanta foursome opening up their sound. New single “Lush” continues that trend, driving things home more directly than anything we’ve heard from them before.
Sauntering along a shambling groove, Paulos allows her distinctive warble to lead the way. There’s a glimmer of hope in her voice, but it’s tangled in a thorny knot of doubt and despair. That aura of emotional tension is echoed in Tim Sherrill’s taut guitar lines that follow the vocals around like a comforting friend offering up their moral support. While “Lush” grapples with issues of pain and addiction, it’s also a song about seeking release—if only for the moment. “Could you be my fun house just for tonight? / Could you be my fight or flight? / Maybe your just right,” Paulos sings. Lurking behind that yearning for escape, however, is the understanding that it can only lead to greater suffering. The end result is a heartrending, deeply personal song that speaks to both Paulos’ trauma and the desire for healing.
“I wrote this song one day after my first detox about two years ago,” she reveals. “It’s [about] the struggle between recovery and wanting to give in to addiction. It’s very personal to my recovery to be able to create and share experiences.”
Listen below.
“Lush” is the second single from the group’s upcoming LP, Bounce House. The track will be available on all streaming platforms on Dec. 30.
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Bandcamp: chickwallace.bandcamp.com
Facebook: chickwallaceatl
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