It is about time for an unwarranted confession. I picked this submission based on the description: “mom’s garden” is a confessional track that processes generational trauma through moments of love, anger, disorder, and healing. Grounded in ancestral knowledge, the English-Spanish lyrics reclaim patterns of survival as a tool for self-reflection and liberation”. I was immediately enraptured with how short but truly impactful it was. I believe that many people of colour or people with mixed ancestry truly tell the best stories about their relationships with their parents, and as a POC myself, I found this especially resonant even before listening to the song. As I write this, I have yet to listen to the song, but I have the highest expectations from the messaging itself. I love how girlcat tells the story of their music in words.
“mom’s garden” is an echoey, atmospheric track that leans heavily into its emotional weight. The English-Spanish lyrics explore generational trauma with a mix of love, anger, disorder, and healing, creating a layered intimacy in the message even when the tone remains steady throughout. While the song doesn’t shift much dynamically, that sameness amplifies its heaviness, complementing the melancholy. The drawn-out vocals feel deliberate, mirroring the slow, sometimes painful process of unpacking inherited wounds. In this sense, the song creates a space inside a person.
Still, there’s a part of me that wishes for more variation to match the complexity of the themes at hand. The steadiness works, but a slight change in shape, sonically or emotionally, could make its message hit even harder. That said, the atmosphere is rich, and the melancholy sits like a lingering shadow over every note.
Written by Nthatile Mavuso
