Released on May 24th, Come Undone is the latest single from Marissa Kephart & Scott Yoshimura, the indie-rock, shoegaze, dream-pop duo from Des Moines, Iowa. It begins with slow and meandering guitar lines and deft, sensitive drumming – all flighty frills and skittering drive – before the beautiful vocal line entwines the listener. The melody feels incredibly familiar, like something half-remembered from childhood. This feels apt given the nostalgic reference points in the lyrics- scratched CDs and faux leather interiors included. Thematically exploring the emotional intricacies and inner demons that rise within a seemingly unhealthy relationship, it also toys with sonic juxtapositions in intriguing ways. A fear of vulnerability is considered but also that of losing identity in response to another’s needs and desires. The music however, has a clear identity of its own. These two know what they are doing.
There is a delicacy at play here too, the melody in the verses possessing an almost childlike simplicity and that chorus rich in 90s atmospherics. The guitars work hard in the surrounding sonic landscape in which those breathy vocals reside and build more viscerally as the song develops – resonating with clanging distortion at its atmospheric crescendo. The contrast of the reverb-heavy purity in that voice and that fuzzy, shoegazy soundscaping is one of the song’s real strengths and makes for a very engaging four minutes.
Come Undone is out now as a download only release. Please do check it out.
Written by M.A Welsh (Misophone)