Last month, New Zealand-based musician Rousseau released her new EP hello, i know you’re busy. Her affinity for creating music that balances the fine line between pop and alternative that is almost exquisite in its delivery is relaxing to most, but when you delve deeper there is so much behind the vibe-inducing music that comes pouring out of the speakers on the EP.
Five tracks of perfect layering and quirky flare begin with “Sugar Plum”, a title that might seem to be dripping with sweetness but is actually incredibly introspective. In fact the song itself could just be stress-inducing, with lines like “Where did ten years go? / Afraid I’m getting old” as Rousseau reflects on the way she has spent the last decade or so. Her existential questions are something we all face, so the track is highly relatable in that way. While in “Familiar” Rousseau goes into great detail describing the object of her affections, it’s not necessarily your stereotypical song brimming with thoughts of infatuation. Her discussion of this “stranger” being “my father… my best friend… my mother” opens the listeners’ eyes – even more so – to the fact that you can find bits and pieces of your closest friends and family in a lover. And though she insists “I want to tell him how I feel,” we aren’t altogether convinced that she will.
Unrequited love at its finest.
We’re absolutely in love with the way Rousseau’s vocals both paint a picture with the lyrics, as well as a feeling with the composition in “Petra Says”, a standout ballad on the five track EP. And while “Desert Road” plays with dissonance in a way that makes you feel like you’re in the desert itself, the reverb in the vocals acting as mirages one might encounter in the middle of nowhere. Though the title “Glycerol Tears” doesn’t exactly conjure up the most pleasing of images, we’re on board with Rousseau’s wispy vocals as she pleads, “Just let me love you” in the softest, most beautiful ballad one could imagine.
Keep up with Rousseau here.
