“second home” is the third track released by indie rock outfit Buffy, a husband-wife project from Providence, Rhode Island. It’s also the tenderest track they’ve released so far, ditching the electric guitars of “Low Five” and “Midflight” for a sparse piano melody, acoustic guitar, and drums with just enough “oomph” to keep the track moving but not loud enough to ever physically overwhelm the mix.
That piano line opens the song, two lonely notes oscillating back and forth that sound like they were recorded on a dusty upright in someone’s attic. At first, it’s reminiscent of something similar that Liz Phair used to open her sophomore album Whip-Smart. That is, until it shifts into acoustic guitar for the verse, but the piano motif returns soon afterward, embedding itself into the song’s DNA as the emotional anchor behind Alexandra St Thomas’ sad vocals.
Lo-fi indie has been around for decades now, and its best songs all answer the question, “Would this have sounded better with more expensive equipment?” with a resounding “no.” The murky sound of the piano creates a droning effect, like a low-grade anxiety, as St Thomas dwells on memories of a second home that once brought her peace, “I’m happy to be here even if it’s just dream / I don’t ever want to leave.”
Written by Marshall Gu
