If you love dream pop, but have been looking for something a bit darker and grittier than the genre typically has to offer, Temples of Youth might be what you need. Carrying a subtle R.E.M. flavor with its jangly opening guitar line, “Mercury” starts off immediately catchy before diving into colder waters.
The powerful, rock-suited intonations of vocalist Joanne Carson wrap around you like smoke as soon as she enters the track. Managing to sound just as ethereal as she is intimidating, she is this song. Dream pop has a tendency to rely on sopranos, but Temples of Youth breaks this mold, resulting in a mature, emotional sound. As we get to the bridge, her voice soars over the thundering instrumentals, pulling you in before exploding into the final chorus. It is just as powerful as anything a Florence + the Machine or Pixies track would do, but with something lurking under the surface in the wintry darkness of the shoegazing guitars.
For fans of any of the bands above, as well as similarly dreamy projects such as Pale Waves, Wolf Alice, or Beach House, the appeal of “Mercury” is a no-brainer. Not to mention, it’s just a great track to add to your playlists in this never ending final stretch of February. It’s still a little foggy out, with a midnight that seemingly falls at 6PM, so let’s brood.
McKinzie Smith is a former film student from Portland, OR. In her adolescence, she followed Fall Out Boy up and down the West Coast. She now considers herself very cool and normal and only a little bit emo. She now spends most of her time listening to Charli XCX in her kitchen and writing articles about things she likes.