Fiercely contributing to the rise of Queer spaces – wether physical of intellectual – Oakland-based outfit Pillowprince has been steadily at work developing their hard-hitting, rebellious brand of indie rock, shoegaze and everything in between. Queercore is perhaps a more fitting description for the talented American trio, especially when it comes to their relatable, introspective lyricism. Part playful and part tragic, Pillowprince’s songs are not afraid to delve into heavy themes, be it loss, grief and a heightened sense of emptiness.
Yet, even among such gloominess, Queer joy spreads slowly and steadily, eventually resulting into an elegantly euphoric take on the reality around us. Simply, Pillowprince observe and report, and they do so with panache and charisma. ‘pretty, baby!’ is the strongest evidence of that. Out now, the record is the group’s debut EP, collecting past singles and a brand new offering, ‘Babybird’. For a project that debuted only this year, that’s not bad at all.
We find ourselves quickly hypnotised by Pillowprince’s sonic character. Bathing in expansive shoegaze references as much as they do in more substantial post-punk, the American outfit champions spacious, ethereal female vocals, shimmering guitar tones and an overall sense of whimsy and dreaminess, allowing their vivid lyricism to pop even more. Resembling an intense daydream, ‘pretty, baby!’ takes the listeners into Pillowprince’s core values – values that we seem to share, too.
Recommended! Discover ‘pretty, baby!’ on Spotify:
