‘The Overflow’ eases out of the speakers with a dreamy fugue – a soft and enchanting melody embellished with some glorious harmonies weaving in and out of the dappling notes. French for Rabbits, hailing from New Zealand’s capital Wellington, have created something that feels ever so delicate and fragile, deeply melancholic and yet floating on a bed of bright guitars and synth interplay.
This is compounded by the lyrics which are suffuse with an air of anxiety:
It’s just a river, a current.
It’s just a heartbeat out of time.
And I’m afraid I’ll lose you all the time.
And I’m afraid I’ll lose you all the time.
There is a fey and wistful timbre that is achingly beautiful. Indeed, the themes reflect an air of vulnerability – frontwoman Brooke Singer says the track is about panic attacks:
Nobody needs to hear about the admin of an indie musician, but I can tell you – it could be a mountain higher than Everest if you let it. At times, I’ve found myself on the edge of burn-out and having panic attacks…I dream of living in a cabin by a river, with a dog and fireplace and a simple life with friends around for dinner. But I’m also filled to the brim with ideas for projects, new songs and new challenges. It’s just a river, a current / it’s just a heartbeat out of time she sings, lulling herself back to reality when her heart is racing.
The accompanying video, filmed by Bill Bycroft (Aldous Harding, Marlon Williams, Stella Donnelly and The Naked & Famous) and edited by Singer, contrasts a bright yellow sunshine aura with a precarious world: matching the inherent contradictions between the bubbling music and the melancholic vocal layers:
‘The Overflow’ is out now via Reckless Yes in the UK, Europe, and North America, AAA Records in NZ and Australia, and A Modest Proposal in Italy with a brand new album to follow later in the year. You can download or stream here.
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