English teachers tell you that any good writing reveals something about human nature. They usually refer to (and expect you to discuss) the broader truths, like blah blah capitalism and blah blah mortality, stuff the author intended you to find. But as a fellow writer myself, I’d argue that it’s worthwhile to study what the text tells us about the author themselves, the facets of identity they don’t even realize they’ve revealed—or maybe they do, but don’t realize how bright the whole gem can shine for the reader.

When I first heard Zack Fowler’s first EP as Dead Selves from last year, I was immediately struck with how much their writing wrapped around other people. Their empathy surged through a live wire electricity that jumped through your skin and sparked without restraint. For their upcoming first full length Enjoy the Eclipse!, Fowler doesn’t hold back the current; indeed, as “Charcoal” proves, they’ve only upped the voltage. Here, Jess Gonzalez and Jacob Moreno from Atlanta’s La Suegra lend horns for a Nana Grizol-like blast of devotion.

But the beauty in Fowler’s writing (and by extension, their self) lies in how they not only admit to, but attempt to cushion the shock of such unflinching attachment. “I used to tell my friends I loved you / Or that the drugs meant I could never really love you,” their protagonist confesses toward the end. “And I suppose it would be kinder / to try to figure out which one is true.” It’ll be a painful process to sift through, but the transparency proves why Fowler has such a knack for songwriting—through their blinding imperative to connect to others, they show us the complex spectrum of human nature, one that only the most seasoned writers can convey.

Listen to “Charcoal” and its wistful, jangly B-side “72” below.

Charcoal (Single) by Dead Selves

Dead Selves will perform live on WREK today at 4:30 p.m.

Dead Selves will celebrate the release of Enjoy the Eclipse! on Fri., Sept. 21 at Murmur alongside TAYLOR ALXNDR, Gabbie Rotts, and Jamee Cornelia. Doors open at 8 p.m.

More Info
Bandcamp: deadselves.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @deadselvesband
Instagram: @deadselves
Twitter: @DeadSelves