baula - “parasite”
Photo by Greta Maria Asgeirsdottir
Sweden-based duo Karolina Thunberg and Ísak Ásgeirsson, aka baula, have just released the relentlessly raw and unapologetic indie-rock song, “parasite.”
Pressing play will find listeners amidst a wave of layered guitars, churning with boundless distortion and infinite fuzz. In the underbelly of “parasite,” a foundation has been poured with gasoline, consisting of thick bass and an explosive beat, then set ablaze as an offering to our garage-rock overlords. The song is dark and gritty, just the way we prefer to ingest the contents of the genre.
Contrasting the track’s somber edge, Thunberg’s vocal performance floats across the top of the production as though a dream. Her voice has been drenched in a thick glaze of reverberation, granting it the ability to provide a rather haunting element to the overall sound. The driving force of the music and its polarity to the vocal delivery will likely be one of the reasons you return to “parasite” for multiple listens.
In its four-minute duration, listeners will be taken on a journey through the pits of their despair, pulling us all together in the company of our own malaise. Highlights include the falsetto-imbued vocals on the hook, as well as the synthy solo in the back half of the track, despite the song’s otherwise guitar-saturated arrangement.
“parasite” provides listeners with a glimpse into the darkness of the duo’s forthcoming LP, heavy heart, no tears, which explores the manifestation of one’s inner destruction: “The album offers no redemptive turning point, no insights or solutions. It simply reflects the misery of depression, from initial doubts about one’s self and life, to the final blow.” Look for it on April 26.