Everything But The Everything search for ‘Intimacy’ in Psychedelic-Sounding Track

“Sex is cheap, but good love is expensive”: the lyrics to ‘Intimacy’ – a single with which California rockers Everything But The Everything flirt with psychedelic rock while maintaining much of their new-wave sound – offer an interesting reflection on the nature of relationships and the way that we deconstruct them.

It is an electronic-infused rock track that calls back to the great glories of synth music, enhanced by intelligent production that demonstrates the perfect amount of tangible alteration to both the vocals and guitars. This creates a feeling of immersive, dream-like suspension – as if the music is a bubble and the listener is floating within.

Contrasting its title, ‘Intimacy’ is a lively and engaging track. First released in 2020, the single is a great example of the versatility and intelligence of the band. Their strengths lie in recreating a type of easy-rock that is often associated with the tail end of the 1960s, but with an added freshness and immediacy that borders on pop without going too far. ‘Intimacy’ also has psychedelic undertones to it – a result of electronic elements, breezy vocals, and danceable beats that are reminicisent of dream-pop or trip-hop. Their clever use of distortion in the opening hook brings a trance-like and truly intimate feeling to the track.

The single is also somewhat of a collaborative enterprise, with Luke Sweeney contributing vocals and Andrew Gomez of NRVS LVRS being responsible for that Moog synth sound which creates the retro vibe that pervades this song. The extra hands-on-deck add to the complexity of the overall sound without causing a departure from the type of music the band is known for. The simple yet effective drumming and the way in which the bass line is constructed are key takeaways from this extremely danceable melody.

 

Chiara Strazzulla

@cstrazzull

Image: ‘Intimacy’ Official Single Cover