Rising artist THALA is finding strength in her vulnerability on new EP ‘In Theory Depression’ out now on Fire Records. Forging a path in hazy, lo-fi indie, this release is home to her sharpest, boldest songwriting yet, rendering these deeply personal explorations of self in vivid, ‘90s influenced indie-rock, and looming, psych-inspired walls-of-sound.
Recalling the tangled indie-rock of Holly Humberstone, Soccer Mommy, and Phoebe Bridgers, and underpinned by spiky, surging guitars, it unearths tenderness, even as it rages. The new EP sees THALA dredging up the feelings she’d tried hard to bury before. As the usual bustle of her hectic everyday life was silenced, she filled that space with songwriting, delving deep into the complicated feelings she had previously left to somewhere deep within herself.
‘In Theory Depression’ marks the artist’s most introspective writing yet, but as much as these incisive lyrics excavate from hidden depths, they’re often paired with widescreen, cinematic-sounding melodies. It brings to mind both the dazzling soundscapes of Mazzy Star, the witty bite of Liz Phair, and the subtle punk influences of Juliana Hatfield, who also spins the genre’s more relentless strains into snarling and bittersweet alternative pop.
LIVE DATE
20 Jul: Jazzopen, Schlossplatz, Stuttgart, Germany
w/ Paolo Nutini & Parov Stelar
‘In Theory Depression’ is available on LTD Edition Rough Trade Exclusive Transparent Splatter Vinyl & Standard White Vinyl
