A standout debut single from Stockholm-based artist Penny, “CRUCIAL” intrigues with its haunting vocal interweaving and murky soundscape. The artist’s dark art-pop sound balances a feeling of whimsical brightness, apparent in the vocal’s tonal playfulness and tempo-reflective pulse, with a cavernous soundscape propelled by buzzing synth-bass and percussive click-clacks.
The uniquely affecting vocals consume in their subdued tone and dynamic layering, and further with lyrical perspectives “about being transformed from states of paralyzing anxiety, back to life again, thanks to certain words from someone else.” The nocturnal-minded production combine with Penny’s vocals for a one-of-a-kind result, one that has Penny firmly on my radar.
The track was released on Thanatosis, co-produced by Anton Toorell (Receptacles, Dammit I’m Mad, Invader Ace) and Alex Zethson (Sven Wunder, Mariam the Believer), and mastered by Hans Olsson at Svenska Grammofonstudion.
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This and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Best of October 2022’ Spotify playlist.
