The second single from Thala this year, ‘1st of the year’ is an awakening with a heady slice of realisation that everything’s not going to work out as planned – as perfectly illustrated in the cathartic video directed by Thala and Nils Ladewig.
“It’s a very introspective song, every word is what I felt at that moment, utterly heartbroken. I learned a lot at the beginning of this year; I learned I was capable of loving and hurting because of it.”
Moving away from the “sweet indie rock” of last year’s critically-acclaimed EPs ‘In Theory Depression’ and ‘twotwentytwo’, ‘1st Of The Year’ is an outpouring of emotion, which reveals a darker side to her music after the uplifting parable of ‘don’t want u to die’.
A transient soul, originally drawn to the cerebral emotion of shimmering early 90s shoegaze, Thala has traversed the electronic dream pop wasteland and created a widescreen cinematic sound; off-kilter pop music that blossoms from verse to chorus like Hope Sandoval trading barbs with Soccer Mommy.
The brittle tension of ‘1st of the year’ comes to a head in explosive fashion midway through, that release and its perfectly honed euphoric break confirming Thala’s status as an incisive modern singer songwriter, one whose skill is to expose her most private emotions in a wonderfully tactile way.
Thala is currently working on her new album set for release next year. New single ‘1st of the year’ is out now on Fire Records.
“Thala’s songwriting is profoundly introspective, it simultaneously oozes a woozy confidence that at once reels you in and hugs you tight. Her lyricism is emotive, striking and beautifully honest, backed by a considered soundscape of psych-tinged 90s indie rock revival touch points.” Rough Trade
