Friday, February 12, 2021

Clever Girls - "Saturn"

Photo by Kay Dargin

The more we hear from Clever Girls' new album, the more it becomes clear that it's a rebirth for the Vermont band. It's their first since frontperson Diane Jean came out as queer and gender-nonconforming, and it's also reflecting a change in sound for the band. With their latest single, "Saturn," gone is the Tom Petty style Americana meets indie rock. The new song reflects a more pop oriented sound, although one that's heavily filtered through their indie rock roots. It starts off relatively poppy and smooth, but as it goes on the guitars start getting fuzzier and noisier. As many of our indie rock favorites go further and further into the world of pop, it's great to see a band keep one foot squarely in that world while exploring their pop side.

Diane Jean says of the song:

"When you flip a tarot card to unveil the Tower of the Major Arcana, those who practice often associate the draw with a tumultuous fulcrum- a moment characterized by uncertainty or a future that will be constructed on false premises.  In a green room of a Burlington concert venue, I drew the Tower card (among some other cards that were arguably pretty negative) with a friend named Lee who was performing my reading.  Lee saw my nervousness and wracked their brain for the words that would spin this reading into something positive I️ could take with me on stage; I began to sweat and writhe with discomfort as the tarot cards stared up at me.  We spoke about my return of Saturn, or the rebirth we as humans experience as we leave our youth behind and enter adulthood.  It was late November and I️ was about to enter my twenty-eighth year on earth.  I️ wrote Saturn shortly after this night, as I️ thought about the challenge of forging a future for myself that I️ could desire and be proud of.  What structures from my adolescence could I️ part with? What towers am I️ able to condemn, destroy, and rebuild in favor of something lovelier, something more sturdy?"

You can listen to "Saturn" below. Constellations is due out March 26 on Egghunt Records. You can pre-order a copy here. For more on Clever Girls, check out the band's website.

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