“Skydiver” - Briston Maroney: Chatharsis and Speaking Your Truth
Artist: Briston Maroney Single: Skydiver Genre: Indie Rock, Singer Songwriter Release Date: May 17th, 2024
Understated indie icon Briston Maroney has just released a new single titled “Skydiver”. The track explores Maroney’s anxiety and fears about uncertainty through thoughtful lyrics and unique vocals. Tying all of his arduous thoughts and questions into a metaphor about hurtling towards the ground at full speed, Maroney has created yet another song that makes his listeners feel seen.
“Skydiver” melds in well with the rest of his discography. It doesn’t feel like a carbon copy of any of his past music, but it still maintains his particular style and sound. Reverb and layering on his vocals usher in drama and intensity to the song. The mix is soft and solemn while simultaneously complementing the power behind the words. The combination of airy vocals and hardened instruments only add to the emotions Maroney unloads in this track.
Maroney expressed in his Instagram announcement of the release that he was “... really nervous to share this song…” due to how personal it is. “Skydiver” gives us all the okay to explore our emotions and say what we’re really feeling. In this empowering indie ballad, Maroney has continued his legacy of stirring songwriting.
Childish Gambino surprises us with Atavista, a polished re-release of his 2020 album 3.15.20. Gambino originally released the unfinished record during the Covid-19 pandemic as a rushed love letter to his apocalypse anxiety and to his fans. Needing a master and a mix, Gambino resurfaced the entire album and dropped it alongside a list of tour dates. Atavista is an intimate album that somehow maintains oodles of mystique and disconnectivity. The words to the songs are new, but the album's sound isn’t anything that we haven’t heard from Gambino before.