Last time we wrote about Tamar Berk was in November 2024, and Mesmerized was busy celebrating ‘That’s Not a Lie’ as a “crunchy and upbeat offering”, a statement we certainly stand by even today. You see, the Californian songstress has heavily dabbled in roaring indie-rock and hazy alt-pop, fusing the two in a nostalgic, dreamy formula that’s striking and cathartic. Berk’s evocative and elegant vocals do the rest, wrapping listeners into a lyrical universe that’s introspective, personal, and highly relatable.
Today, Tamar returns with her latest effort, ‘stay close by’. In it, we find all the marks of a Berk record, perhaps with a slightly darker, post-rock twist. It’s seemingly a new era for the American creative; without forgetting her past dealings, she’s now delving full force into her upcoming album, ‘ocd’, expected on September 5th. ‘stay close by’ is quite a fascinating experience; moving at a moderate pace, the piece flourishes on grunge-flavoured distortions and shimmering, ghostly vocals, with Berk giving a nod to shoegaze and dream-pop euphoria.
Delving deeper into ‘stay close by’, Tamar explains: “This song is about a hopeful optimism that hasn’t quite panned out yet”. It’s all closely related to the overarching album: “A full-body map of overthinking, emotional spirals, and obsessive introspection. It’s my most vulnerable and self-aware work to date.”
Recommended! ‘stay close by’ is out now, and ‘ocd’ arrives on September 5th:
