SOAK – IF I NEVER KNOW YOU LIKE THIS AGAIN (INDIE)

With If I never know you like this again, SOAKs Bridie Monds-Watson (they/them) have shaken the hangover of their starry Mercury-nominated debut Before We Forgot How To Dream and their ambitious follow-up album Grim Town, and the pressures that came with them. Having written much of their new album when time felt at its slowest, Bridie, who has always had an obsessive need to document each chapter of their life, now makes a marvel of the mundane. On If I never., SOAKs brilliant melodies are on full display. Lead single “Last July” features a masterfully off-kilter vocal set against swooning guitars, creating a lush pop song that wouldnt be out of place in the end credits of a 90s coming-of-age film. Lyrically, Bridie manages to be both playful and self-aware. The idea of identity is central to the record, and Bridies lyrics are as deeply personal as they are universal. “This record is the most accurate picture of me. I felt no pressure at all, it was almost like I was ranting as I was writing,” they explain. Bridies memories string together to create intimate vignettes of a life richly lived. Tapping into their specific experiences, the result is a record that is deeply relatable and sparkling, as it traverses the ups and downs of their journey to becoming a fully realized person.