Los Angeles-based band Milly have released their strikingly nostalgic and miserable new song “Denial” via Dangerbird Records.
With production consisting of brooding guitar, moody bass and drums, Milly perfectly capture the emotional essence of 90s alt rock and shoegaze. Lyrically, “Denial” invokes the shattering sadness upon realising that the past is unobtainable whether that be directed towards an ex (“Your eyes like your smile / It’s fucking with my life”) or a home becoming unrecognisable. The themes are further emphasised when the tempo increases during the track’s sing-along chorus: “Galaxies wish you well / Come back again, come back alone” and ends on a question that feels both yearning and a warning: “Do you wish that you could come back here?”
Lead singer Brendan Dyer states the track “is about the idea of being fixated on something but knowing deep down it’s gone.” This resonates in our pandemic times conveying how looking back to a happier past is a double-edged sword. In particular, the second verse where Dyer describes an empty homecoming is affecting in its directness and simplicity: “Feels like the same old town / But I know it’s not / Took our dreams right down.” By having such a nostalgic vibe in production while depicting the depressing side of nostalgia, Milly have cleverly created a song that feels comforting but hard-hitting.
Watch the video for “Denial” below, or listen to it on streaming platforms.
“Denial” is from Milly’s upcoming EP Wish Goes On, which will be released April 9 through Dangerbird. You can find the band on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
