Next Friday, Akron collective Annabel will release their first new record since 2015’s Having It All, a staple of the decade’s Midwest emo movement. Given that 2015 was nearly a decade ago, it’s no surprise that brothers Ben and Andy Hendricks and their rotating cast of collaborators have changed a bit over that time period, with Worldviews’s lyrics illustrating personal growth in addition to the album’s 12 tracks seeing them venture far beyond the the emo-pop sound of their prior discography.
The latest cut to be shared from the record takes the form of a spacious, melancholy blend of synthpop and shoegaze, bringing to mind indie acts from the late-’00s and early-’10s as well as the contemporary wave of artists decimating boundaries previously separating these genres. “It allowed us to tap into some influences that don’t always show in our songs,” Ben Hendricks shares of “Small Victories.” “Some of my favorite bands are The Radio Dept. and Broken Social Scene, and I love a lot of newer experimental pop, like Jane Remover and yeule. We lost some members in the middle of writing, and I started to feel like, ‘Well, alright, I guess now we can do whatever.’”
Meanwhile, the track’s lyrics feel much more grounded, with Hendricks seeking a more permanent sense of comfort than what we tend to be accustomed to in young adulthood. “It’s about the struggle of always seeking validation and realizing that temporary comfort is a dead end. Basically, I’m trying to give less of a fuck, even though I know part of me still will.”
Check out the track below, and pre-order Worldviews here.
