Ryan O’Connell’s “So Cool” is a slow-burning, roughly textured song of detachment and self-deception. Characterised by a drawled, hoarse vocal that stretches each word like it’s too heavy to carry, the vocals balance the theme of irony and aftermath. O’Connell repeats “baby, I am so cool (so cool)” not in a conceited manner but a false sense of calmness while pleading.
Musically, “So Cool” leans on guitar work that does the emotional heavy lifting, subtle but shifting. The song drifts between major and minor tones with the kind of off-kilter precision reminiscent of iconic indie rock bands Pavement and Built to Spill, and their stream-of-consciousness storytelling and guitar-heavy instrumentation, respectively. At five minutes, this track does not rapidly build or crescendo; nor does it fall apart. It simply persists, maintaining an exhausted honesty.
Written by Nthatile Mavuso
