by Liz Van Horn (@cokezer0hero)
Poolblood’s first album Mole feels like the first sign of warmth after a harsh winter; while we begin to feel more comfortable outside in the increasing temperatures, we find the embattled emotions that come with hibernating for extended periods of time still linger. We are still adapting, processing, accepting that better days are to come, but we know that they will.
The opening track, “<3,” is best described as a hug received by a loved one on a difficult day. Melodic guitar, coupled with Maryam Said’s crooning vocals and the subtle sounds of birds chirping, invites the listener to escape the present and create an alternate reality that exists only within the duration of the album. This initial serenity, a beckoning invitation into Maryam’s thoughts, allows one to let go of the outside world, to absorb and process the lyrical themes of troubled relationships and loneliness to follow.
Throughout the album, lyrics such as “Some days I remember more precisely / I can call you when I have a better story” that beautifully outline the anxieties of feeling disconnected from a relationship coexist with more straightforward statements like “Sorry I was a bitch to you.” Maryam’s initial invitation inside of their head was purposeful; it permits us to experience both these internal anxieties and external apologies, providing us with a fuller, all-encompassing picture. Poolblood sought to lay everything out on the table in this debut album and succeeded wonderfully by organizing a narrative that unfolds like the solace of seasons passing: one may feel dread or uncertainty, but eventually, the flowers will bloom and the sun will return.