New York has always been a place for the arts and culture, and emerging DIY band Croaker proves this point with their latest single, ‘Sonia Said’. A slightly haunting and melancholic tune, it helps to set them apart in the crowded indie/alt rock scene with its angsty acoustic guitars that form the main body and the vocals that remind me of Chris Martin from Coldplay.
I feel that ‘Sonia Said’ is a very safe track; there’s nothing there that really makes you stop and say “wow!” but it’s a pleasant listen nonetheless, and sometimes, that’s all you need. There’s no fancy guitar solos or drum fills, but that’s because there really doesn’t need to be. You have to appreciate when a band does that because in today’s musical landscape of having to do the most for social media, it’s always nice when artists strip their songs back to the bare bones. Not that there’s anything wrong with thrills, but sometimes that breathing space is good for the soul.
In saying that, the lyrics do in fact do a lot of the heavy lifting, painting vivid images inside your head. Stand out ones for me include “Bad dreams don’t make themselves up, they get held / you don’t waste time, but you’re wasting mine instead / no one’s thinking about you all the time”. Each helping to tie into the gloomy narrative that ‘Sonia Said’ presents.
Flaunting their DIY ethos with no care in the world, as highlighted by their latest powerhouse of a single, Croaker has expertly made its mark inside the American music scene.
Written by Madi Briggs
