These are exciting times for Californian creative Tamar Berk. Following up on her previous release ‘stay close by’ – which we described as “flourishing on grunge-flavoured distortions and shimmering, ghostly vocals” – Berk returns today with a new album, ‘ocd’, a deep dive into fashionable indie territories and guitar-driven euphoria. Honestly, it’s a good record, even better than we would have expected initially. There’s a reason the indie press went crazy for it; it fits all the right boxes.
You’ve got your dreamy evocative goodness, such as the aforementioned ‘stay close by’, ‘there are benefits to mixed emotions’, or the eclectic anthem ‘ghost stories’. You’ve got your leaner, punchier and fiercer offerings, such as ‘you ruined this city for me’, ‘I’m in the day after’, ‘indiesleaze2025’. The same category also taps into the current revivals of ’90s rock and grunge tones, which we certainly appreciate. That’s not all; Tamar is not the kind of artist who would fixate on a specific vibe or a mood. Her artistry is intense and varied, and that’s where more introspective and mellow efforts come in.
Take, for instance, the acoustic-driven ‘tell me why’, or the atmospheric, feathery jewel ‘any given weeknight’. There’s a heightened sense of elegance and softness in it, evidence that Berk is highly adaptable, oscillating between introspection and euphoria with no remorse. As Tamar explains: “Every song is like one little word in a bigger sentence, a piece of the puzzle. Sometimes it feels like I have 10 marathon runners in my head all going in different directions to get to the same place.”
Recommended! Discover ‘ocd’ on Spotify and YouTube:
