The new single “We Don’t Belong” is a joint project of the artists Running Empty and I Talk About You All the Time. At the helm of Running Empty is Matthew Messore of Cathedral Bells and Midi Memory, but in this iteration, Messore crafts music “rooted in cassette-recorded sketches, analog warmth, and minimal arrangements.” In my admittedly limited research, I was not able to learn as much about I Talk About You All the Time, other than that they craft indelible slowcore melodies for your late nights and melancholy mornings (shout out to the incredible track “We’ll Always Share the Same Moon”).
From these descriptions alone, you might begin to imagine the aesthetics and downbeat ethos of their new single. This song, however, combines retro synths, cassette recordings, and buried vocals to manufacture a pitch-perfect slowcore anthem. But unlike the mostly paint-by-number sing-alongs of mainstream radio, this is an anthem for the outcast. If you were into Carissa’s Weird in 2001 or Sign Crushes Motorist in 2023, this music is for you. The reverb is in full swing, and the melody approximates an archive of sedimented sound: voice messages, slightly distorted synth samples, vocal lines, and drums that do only what they need to. The synth sets the hook, but the rest forms a compelling whole, and only the more attentive listeners will be able to disentangle the individual threads.
Slowcore devotees will find everything they need here, but this will also appeal to fans of ambient pop and found sound. The TLDR here: if you like good music, give this single a spin or two (and you won’t stop there).
running empty
i talk about you all the time
Written by SilenceKid
