Conner Cherland - “Drugs” (ft. Rowe)
Photo by Josie Farrior
Los Angeles-based Conner Cherland makes his debut on the blog with the emotional and graceful indie-pop gem “Drugs.”
To be perfectly honest, we immediately fell in love with Cherland’s vocal due to how reminiscent it is to the vulnerable inflections of Conor Oberst. And although “Drugs” is a pop song, through and through, make no mistake– this thing will reach right inside of you and weave its melodic vines around your feelings. At times, the lower register displays all the power of a poet, professing a love for something that appears to have been swallowed by who he used to be.
Cherland’s raw and honest voice is accompanied by the slow chords of a piano, deliberately balanced across the top of a sparsely pulsating kick drum. Haunting and ethereal pieces of ear candy find their way to the surface of the track, ensuring that “Drugs” keeps its listener engaged. On the refrain, Cherland is joined by some sublime vocal harmonies, bringing a thickness to the lyrics and elevating the production to a level that we were not quite emotionally prepared to hear.
As “Drugs” moves forward, more layers are added to the arrangement, resulting in a steady and gradual crescendo that creates a bit of tension and a sense of urgency. This is the first single from Cherland’s forthcoming LP, Lake, and, quite frankly, he should just take our money now, because we cannot wait to wrap our ears around it.
-HD