Living in a chaotic city requires a dedicated survival playlist. When the concrete feels like it is closing in and the sirens will not stop blaring, you need music that forces your shoulders to drop and your breathing to slow down. I was walking through a packed subway station when I first put on “Villains” by Azure Rose, and it was like someone hit the mute button on my anxiety. This single is just a total blast of summery indie rock.
The mix is so well balanced, but more importantly, it is instantly soothing. That is really tough to pull off in a rock song. The stereo width they got on those flanged guitars is gorgeous. I kept getting lost in it, reminded of the woozy, laid-back charm of Mac DeMarco or Real Estate. I also love how they repeat the line about the city, flipping it backward. It works as such a catchy anchor for the whole tune. And man, that rhythm section is tight. The drummer sits deep in the pocket, while the singer leans into this slurred, relaxed delivery. The contrast makes the whole thing feel trippy and ethereal.
They absolutely nailed the bass guitar, too. It acts as the ultimate glue, tying the writing and the mixing together perfectly. And the outro? Talk about building tension and letting it pop at the exact right moment. If they want to polish it a bit more, I would nudge the vocals forward in time. Right now, they drag slightly behind the beat, and snapping them onto the grid would make the lyrics punchier. Also, those wide guitars occasionally muddy up the fundamental frequencies of the singer’s voice. A quick scoop with a multiband EQ on the guitars would fix that clash in seconds. Great stuff all around.
Written by Oluwaseun Adeyemi
