whenever Woozles (Conor Ryan) releases new music, i have no idea what to expect. before i hit “play” on his most recent single, “It’s Me”, i thought about the previous singles from 2019. and then i realized that i wasn’t going to be able to predict what “It’s Me” was going to sound like — all of those tracks from earlier in the year are so different!
if you had to make a comparison, “It’s Me” shares the most in common with “All Yr Holy Life”, the dynamic, rock song with prominent auto-tune vocals. but at 0:45 you realize something is different; what’s this? a fat synth? i’m in for it. and then thirty seconds later, the synth turns into a chip-tune riff. my favorite part of the song, is the middle-eight bridge, which blends Woozles’ increasingly-impassioned vocals with a burgeoning guitar line and chip tune accompaniment. that’s a lot to pack into in a 2 1/2 minute song, but “It’s Me” never feels over-stuffed. i’m not going to give you my power rankings for 2019 Woozles singles, but “It’s Me” is one of my favorites he’s released this year. and hey, if you play those singles in chronological order, it creates a nice little EP. i think i’ll call it Kidz Bopz Vol. 666.5.
the second single i want you hear today is “Loose Leaf” by Comfy Cozy. if you haven’t listened to Comfy Cozy yet, that’s all right — it’s a relatively new project! it’s helmed by TJ Croke, who you have probably seen playing with several other great CT acts (i think my first time seeing him was playing bass with Mickey Blurr, but he’s also played with Donnie Alexzander, Glamdoll, and Turtle Dad too). so far, Comfy Cozy has released a few short instrumentals; those songs are cool, relaxing beats with some dubs and loops. they’re the kind of thing that you’d find on a great “lo-fi beats to study with” video on youtube (you know the ones).
but that changes today.
“Loose Leaf” is Comfy Cozy’s new single, and it’s a slow, dreamy tune in the vein of Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Men I Trust, or Connan Mockasin. Croke’s vocals take the forefront with a beautiful melody that will send chills down your spine. and “Loose Leaf” features Donnie Alexzander on guitar, Ethan Benton on drums, and backing vocals provided by Turtle Dad and Sophie Minto. the video (provided below) was created with Kari Ostensen, a dancer and filmmaker, that captures the same retro, nostalgic vibe that “Loose Leaf” conjures.
when i pressed Comfy Cozy on details about when the upcoming EP was coming out, he didn’t give any definite dates, but said that we might be able to expect something this winter. so you know what that means, gang, go ahead and hit “follow” on spotify so that you can get those updates as soon as they happen.
