There are several ways in which one can write a song about a past relationship. The spectrum looks something like this: the justified anger and thirst for vengeance of Carrie Underwood’s “Before He Cheats,” the somewhat celebratory “fuck you” of Tomboy’s “PML (Pretty Much a Loser),” the regretful vulnerability of Taylor Swift’s “Dear John,” and the pure sadness of “End of the Affair” by The Field Mice.
In their previous releases, Tallahassee foursome Naps have ruminated on the various degrees of relationships through a lo-fi indiepop lens. Their newest single “Sandspurs” perfectly captures the complicated nostalgia and regretfulness that comes with seeing an ex-lover; the dissociative sensation of knowing someone inside and out, but feeling a significant emotional distance. “Sandspurs” uses the memory of a partner removing the prickly plant, the literal action of a lover healing a wound, to show a romance that once was. This sweet memory quickly turns sour when in reality, the relationship has ended and this person is very visibly with someone else. The song picks up and the band joins in as singer Katryn Macko reaches a point of clarity with the line, “You know your roar was always deafening.”
“Sandspurs” is Naps’ final single before the release of an upcoming EP. Keep an eye out for tour dates and stream “Sandspurs” and a Sky Ferreira cover below:
