New Zealand are hiding some serious musical gems, I swear it. It’s my fault for not looking hard enough, but lately every time someone recommends an act from NZ, I end up swooning. This was 110% the case for Fazerdaze. Of course, she’s been making waves for the last year, but she is another prime example of the above. Anyway, Fazer (aka Amelia Murray) is back with ‘Lucky Girl’, a punchy, sunny, pop number that for some reason makes me think of people dancing in kitchens erratically (I may have done this). It’s reminiscent of the hazy vibes and reverb heavy instrumentation of early 2010’s lo-fi pop, Wild Nothing, Craft Spells and the like. Murray has some dark moments in her lyricism, and the track runs out as a personal self-reflective, inquisitive narrative for whomever the protagonist is – but she’s hidden it well beneath the beautiful guitar lines that streak through like afternoon light through your kitchen window (what is with these housing references I keep ripping out?). And it’s this kind of light to dark songwriting is that is setting Fazerdaze apart right now.
Fazerdaze’s new LP, Morningside, is out May 5th via Flying Nun.