After nearly a decade together as a band, Philadelphia four-piece So Totally are fully leaning into the most transfixing qualities of their sound on their upcoming second full-length Double Your Relaxation. Having evolved from a thrumming homage to Land of Talk’s lush indie-pop, the new album’s title itself—to say nothing of the cover’s hypnotic spiral—speaks to their confidence in relaying a comforting strain of dream pop.
On the album’s third single “Strange Way,” that objective takes an interesting turn as the six-minute cut flirts with slowcore’s unhurried, spare instrumentals. That familiar sense of dreaminess is there, though there’s an emphasis on Roya Weidman’s high-ranged emotive vocals recalling the recent work of IAN SWEET. “Picture tree roots transforming into snakes, trapping and whispering one’s innermost insecurities back to them—‘Strange Way’ is a journey in facing uncomfortable truths and the release of self-doubt,” the band shares of the tune. “Distant synthesizers and ambient hums weave between finger-picked guitars and sparse drums; just meditative enough to shake negative thought while you bob your head.”
If that’s all too abstract for you, much of what they mention makes an appearance in the track’s stop-motion music video directed by Dewey Pileggi, which also features other familiar imagery such as a spiral invoking the album cover. Watch the video below, and check the song out here.
