Joyce Tratnyek has grown a lot in the past few years. Carefully shifting from her more experimental, hazy beginnings to more relatable, pop-leaning matter, the New York City-based creative has managed to widen her audience despite maintaining a highly unique sonic imprint. ‘Loser Like Me’ is Tratnyek’s latest effort, a slice of self-deprecating coolness delivered with a strong tongue-in-cheek character. Steeped in early ‘2000s pop-rock euphoria, the record strikes a fine balance between spacious distortions and smooth melodies, making for a cathartic listening experience.
Echoing the same brand of unapologetic melancholy and self-inflicted depression that Radiohead’s ‘Creep’ might carry, ‘Loser Like Me’ takes that sentiment and carries it into a female-fronted creative space, one that echoes giants such as Avril Lavigne, Olivia Rodrigo and Sheryl Crow, among others. The subject matter is heavily influenced by a variety of sources, then distilled by Joyce’s sublime artistic flair. It’s a good example of how one can certainly borrow ideas and then make them incredibly personal.
From a lyrical standpoint, ‘Loser Like Me’ finds its strength thanks to romance-driven storytelling with contemporary allure, a quality that will undoubtedly make it relatable to a large number of like-minded listeners. An extract from the song might help us understand it better: “Babe I think there’s something wrong with me / no one calls me pretty except men over 50 / I don’t know where I should put my hands when we’re kissing.”
Recommended! Discover ‘Loser Like Me’ on Spotify:
