There’s this really vivid pain associated with feeling like the way people see you is flat. That no matter how hard you try no matter what you do the people in your life have already decided who you are and what you’ll be. In a new track, “Basketball Court,” from Baltimore based five-piece Mothpuppy; we get to meet the band’s frontwoman Morgan Murphy and are brought back in time to when the artist was eleven years old. “Basketball Court” is a gritty DIY story of a boy Murphy meets who speaks about her body in a way that makes her gut wrench. He only sees her as nice and pretty. Murphy tries to break free in the early verses of the song. Later she reflects: “He told me I was cool and pretty/am I anything else?” “But what did he know?”
The memories in this song are painful and they sting. Murphy is a bedroom pop prophet. The lyrics she writes feel universal but when you listen to how the band crafts its guitar and how Murphy articulates her lyrics it feels very intimate, like we almost shouldn’t be listening. Sonically, “Basketball Court” is a gorgeous and strange blend of gooey twee pop and post punk. Murphy’s voice is a hard one to forget. When paired with twang-y guitars, a little synth and a strong line of bass you can parse out elements of bands like Saturday Looks Good To Me and The Pains Of Being Pure At Heart. “Basketball Court” wants to take your heart and break it. And that’s ok.
“Basketball Court” comes from Mothpuppy’s upcoming debut LP Cool & Pretty, out March 10th on Sad Cactus Records
