Brooding electro-pop provides the backdrop for Another Nail, a moving portrait of grief from Australian musician PHAEDRA.
PHAEDRA has navigated the complex waters of grief on Another Nail, a brooding alt-pop cut that serves as the singer’s sophomore single.
Adorned in jittery synths and whirling distorted backing vocals, the track rightfully forefronts PHAEDRA’s commanding vocals, which capture attention even amid the heavily textured production.
In between ear-catching percussive flairs, PHAEDRA’s timbre wraps acrobatically around the dynamic beat, darting restlessly from climactic build-ups and bass drops to brief moments of echoey silence.
To accompany such layered dark-pop aesthetics with powerhouse delivery is no small feat, and PHAEDRA ensures that her vocals are never outshone by the vibrant soundscape.
Equal parts synth-pop and EDM, Another Nail hails from the same ilk as Flume’s Skin in its infusion of loose pop structures within more experimental electronic moments.
While there’s also traces of fellow artists like Disclosure and Skrillex, PHAEDRA carves her own lane by accompanying the darker sound with equally sombre lyricism.
Here, the musician details the byproducts of grief, singing of the denial and heartache that ultimately makes way for a beautiful process of healing.
It’s a testament to the versatility of PHAEDRA’s voice — which flits between sultry whispers and soaring belts with finesse — that she’s able to detail the peaks and valleys of grief with such vivid candour.
A lesser artist might’ve succumbed to the overly sugary sounds that now dominate electro-pop, but PHAEDRA utilises the genre’s elasticity for a track that feels altogether intentional and moving.
“We didn’t know which direction we were going to head with this song,” PHAEDRA explained in a press statement. “Our experimentation led us into the realm of pop and we knew we’d hit the nail on the head.”
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To squeeze heady topics within the confines of a pristinely produced pop song is no small feat, but Another Nail proves doubly impressive given that it is only PHAEDRA’s second-ever single.
PHAEDRA’s debut, Bathroom Surgery, arrived in May, kickstarting what’s sure to be a breakout moment for the musician. As we eagerly await her ascent, you can listen to PHAEDRA’s new single Another Nail below.
