OKTOBER - “Love’s The Hardest Part” (ft. Adrian)

We’ve said it before and we shall say it again: there is absolutely nothing like the sweet, raw vibes of a male and female duet. And we’re not sure if OKTOBER knew this when she submitted her latest track, “Love’s The Hardest Part,” but we were about twenty-two seconds deep when we fell in love with it.

It’s also no secret that we prefer our music to be raw and gritty, with very little production wizardry (no offense to wizards and/ or enchanters), especially when it comes to these folksy singer-songwriter numbers. And that’s exactly what you will find inside “Love’s The Hardest Part.” It’s superbly stripped back to its very bones, much like the subject matter, which is the pressure of having to love someone because it’s what is expected of you, not because it’s who you want to love.

OKTOBER’s vocals are completely brilliant, lending quick comparisons to Phoebe Bridgers and Julien Baker while maintaining her own style and tone. It’s the kind of voice that does not require autotune and has the ability to serenade or to rip a heart from its chest. And when she harmonizes with Adrian’s darker vocal, it is exactly what the soundtracks of dreams are made of.

Please do not let the sparsely recorded beginning of this song fool you– after Adrian takes the lead on the second verse, the listener can sense the coming crescendo. And at approximately two minutes and twenty-five seconds into the track, your ears will be rewarded by complete sonic saturation as the vocals reach the peak of their harmonization. It’s so magnificent that you may not notice the arrival of additional instruments on the first listen; perhaps you will on the second or third. Either way, get to streaming:

-TM