Plastic Picnic - Golden Days
Like a gentle breeze or a soft sunset glow, “Golden Days” is a sweet song that feels comfortable and familiar. The quietly emotional new single reminisces about the golden days of early love while maintaining a pleasing lightness that exposes indie rock band Plastic Picnic’s softer side. The instrumentation is lovely and lush, invigorated by light, uplifting guitars and distant, pulsing drums that give the track a subtle energy, like floating purposefully through time. Singer Emile Panerio’s voice sounds vulnerable and sweet over transient synths that bathe it in warmth and add a layer of nostalgia, while a heavy, hazy reverb makes everything sound like it’s happening inside a dream. The perfect antidote to the January chill, “Golden Days” is subtly psychedelic, enormously cozy, and even better than a dream because you can play it on repeat.
— Britnee Meiser on January 28, 2020
Moses Sumney - Plastic
Los Angeles genre-bending artist Moses Sumney released his gorgeous and ethereal debut album Aromanticism into the world this September. Sumney has made a big impression on artists like Solange and Sufjan Stevens for good reason. His infusion of soul and folk come together on this album in a way that leaves us begging for more. A prime example of this heavenly blend is found on the third song of the album, “Plastic.” A previous version of the song can be heard on the first season of Issa Rae’s HBO series, Insecure. This new version serves as one of the more simplistic songs on the album, featuring just a fingerpicked electric guitar, a synth and Sumney’s captivating voice. The hook of the song repeats the line “my wings are made of plastic,” each time sung in a slightly different way than it was before, continuing to imbue the phrase with new meaning. This song of vulnerability, self-awareness and secret-spilling is the kind that you can leave on repeat and get lost in for hours.
— Dara Bankole on October 22, 2017
