If It's Too Loud...

Photo by Samantha Abdelbarry Teen Idle, the musical project of New Jersey multi-instrumentalist Sara Abdelbarry, has a new single out that's perfect for squeezing out the last bits of summer this weekend. "Saccharine" doesn't quite fit its sugary title, despite being a fairly sugary sounding song. It fits into the bedroom/alt-pop sound that's all the rage, but it's too complex of a song for that. It's filled with odd instrumentation that almost doesn't completely fit, and Abdelbarry's vocals have a unique, soulful quality. Eventually the song seems to destruct into a jazz jam, and I mean that in the best possible way. Sara Abdelbarry says of her new song: “‘Saccharine’ is a song with a title that’s both sincere and sarcastic at the same time. Call it a breakup song if you will – every album needs one – but the song reflects on a romance and the realization that things can start off pretty sweet but quickly turn sour if both people don’t put in the ...

Photo by Samantha Abdelbarry I have a bizarre and intense fondness for New Jersey, particularly the Asbury Park area. That is in part due to the amazing music coming out of Asbury Park, and the latest artist we've discovered is Teen Idle. The musical project of multi-instrumentalist Sara Abdelbarry has just released a new single, "Birthday Cake." It's one of those songs that sounds completely unique, even if it's made up of parts you're intimately familiar with. The song has a great 90's slacker and bedroom indie feel mixed with the modern indie rock/folk/alt-pop sound of artists like Lucy Dacus and Phoebe Bridgers. Plus, "Birthday Cake" sounds wonderfully DIY the way Colleen Green and Little Hag do. I also have a very personal love of artists with unique and non-traditional voices that are still compelling, like J Mascis and Stephin Merritt, and Abdelbarry has that vocal quality. Sara Abdelbarry says of her new single: “‘Birthday Cake’ isn’t spe...