There’s something bewitching about Your Friends Are Looking For You, the latest EP from the LA-based duo Ohyeahsumi. Comprising of twin sisters Rena and Lena Vernon, the duo make a textured brand of dream pop which seems both lo-fi and rich, home-movie dreams where the blips and grains become part of the detailed fabric of the world portrayed. Indeed, from the opening bass line of ‘Cosmos Bowling’, the six short tracks create a dimension slightly different to our own, a beguiling and at times slightly unnerving place, somewhere so novel and strange that you can’t help but hover at its edge.
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The duality in atmosphere between the welcoming embrace of the music and an unsettling vibe poking through the lyrics defines the Ohyeahsumi sound. ‘Drag’ is a love song that flits between romantic ideals and physical realities, while ‘Daisy’ plays self-deprecation as an act of defiance, expectations cast aside and trodden into the dirt. Then, while ‘Hey’ could be an anthem for a seventeen your old, ‘Snowflake’ is altogether darker and self-destructive, “love” as a provocation or act of self-harm. Closer ‘Trophy’ feels like a challenge along these lines, accusations made after the delirious days have past, leaving nothing but bad blood and slow-healing wounds.
“You smile like you’re waiting for apologies
Do you want a trophy?Do you want a trophy for
Breaking my heart?
Do you want a trophy for
Having no heart?”
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The release came out earlier this year on Sports Day Records, though its ethereal atmosphere will make a perfect soundtrack to your hot, lazy summer. Buy it from the Ohyeahsumi Bandcamp page.
Cover art by Dina