One of my best friends bought me Neon Indian’s Psychic Chasms for my 20th birthday. I loaded it into my iTunes and spun it while laying on the beach, the sun soaking my skin as I faded away into a daydream state. It was the perfect soundtrack, like a lazy river had come to life in sonic form and let me float through its calm currents. I get the same sense of hazy serenity on Kendall Morgan’s “Undertow”, a cut with buzzing synths that tap into an endless summer while Morgan’s vocals emanate r&b introspection – if Psychic Chasms was a kaleidoscope of colors, “Undertow” is a grey scale.
On a personal note, Morgan’s newest has me thinking about undertows that have sucked me along throughout my life. For example, I just emerged from a depressive episode that lasted for over 3 months. Totally devoid of energy and borderline hopeless, I slowly floated along until the solution revealed itself – rather than aiming for sweeping changes, I made small, attainable goals that built upon one another and gave me what I needed to pursue a renewed sense of self. I wish I had the energy to fight back against my depression and recalibrate my life sooner, sure, but just like an undertow in the ocean, I took the counterintuitive action and rode it out rather than fighting back with attempts at major changes that would’ve led to drowning in despair.
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