Mx. Manhattan (aka Noraa Stokes) says she makes music for people whose emotional support animals are dead houseplants.
Noraa shares deeply personal – often heartbreaking and unsettling – stories across her social media. ‘bad moon’ is the new four-track EP, and knowing these backstories adds an extra layer to an already dense, richly textured record. I’ll touch on what I can in the following paragraphs.
‘bad moon’ – An exciting concoction of sounds – things seem to arrive from all angles
I loved the squelchy electronic sounds. In fact, there is so much variation in the timbre of this track that I found it slightly disorienting at first. Noraa’s vocal floats along with an ethereal tone that melts perfectly into the track with a pretty melody – a nice contrast to the spikey, angular music.
‘coco ‘- We read that Noraa’s parents were in a cult. That Noraa has been through some serious shit, including stolen cars and psych wards. If that wasn’t enough, this song is about mourning the accidental death of the family dog. Deep breath. Now back to the music! The retro vibes are strong here – familiar synth sounds and vocal effects transported me back to the 80’s, but the production still feels modern and punchy. Light arps and synths wrap around thundering beats and pulsing bass sounds. The vocal melody is the final piece of the puzzle, and I can already tell this EP will reward repeated listens.
“I shiver when I’m cold
I won’t forget you no
even if I live forever oh my sweet coco”
‘kick rocks’ – An atmosphere thick with synths, organs, and slower, broken beats. There is a lot of space, though, and everything is allowed to breathe nicely. Noraa’s vocals are restrained and cut through perfectly with another pretty melody. An incredible guitar solo rounds off the track, providing a uniquely adventurous sound that is wonderfully hard to predict.
“you took off my dress
and left on your socks
then afterwards you told me to get lost
so now I’m out here kickin’ rocks”
‘Strawberry milk ‘- Noraa describes a childhood of enforced isolation, where closeness was punished, and loneliness became internalized. The music hits much harder knowing that. It’s also a testament to this EPs creativity and sonic diversity that when I heard a ‘normal’ guitar sound, it actually surprised me. There’s a lo-fi beat from a drum machine, a crazily frantic bass line, and some ultra-processed vocal hooks that sound like strange, distant bird song. It gives this final track a slightly eerie feel.
“so I wash down my lithium with strawberry milk
cause the label says that I should always take with food
yah I’m kinda crazy & it’s not that cute
you’ll never see me again
& I’m not sorry”
Noraa played many of the instruments on ‘bad moon’, and she created the distinctive cover art too. Everything about this EP feels so deeply personal that it’s impossible not to get drawn in and quietly shaken.
One thing I can guarantee is that ‘bad moon’ will surprise & delight you, and it will be many moons before you’ve explored every corner of these tracks.
Written by Grubby
