November Girl swings for the fences on colossal alt-rock anthem "No Crying In Baseball"
In a time when so many bands are repeatedly applying the nervous and heavily excavated fundamentals of post-punk to their modern sensibilities, it's refreshing when a new act mines a different, parallel vein in pursuit of an original platform for their sound. Enter November Girl with their latest single "No Crying In Baseball," a monumental track that leverages a compelling combination of melody and density in a way that is deeply referential and immediately refreshing.
"No Crying In Baseball" is a dreamy, psychedelic colossus that takes notes from 80s and 90s alt rock heavyweights like The Jesus And Mary Chain, Catherine Wheel, and early Smashing Pumpkins but doesn't ignore the sonic guideposts placed by their more recent peers like Nothing, Cloakroom, and Ringo Deathstarr. Chiming guitars intermingle with a crushing low end that rolls and churns with apocalyptic persistence, riding a wave of distortion hellbent on leveling anything in its path. Willa Rudolph's ethereal vocals are front and center, possessed with a sing-song quality that lends a hazily detached shoegaze element to the band's well-developed sound, mesmerizing and intoxicating amidst the din and determined to captivate at all costs. The end result is a gleefully delirious sonic trip that always keeps both hands on the wheel.
The DIY video punches above its weight to juxtapose sex and violence against the backdrop of America's Pastime, a common language of honorable sportsmanship reframed into a unique commentary on the messy realities of youthful relationships as a contest of wills where the winner takes all. Comprised of shaky, VHS quality footage that would have been perfectly suited for an after midnight slot in the nascent seasons of MTV's 120 Minutes, "No Crying In Baseball" is imbued with an element of timeless analog tangibility that transcends the disposable nature of today's digital media. Even at its most impressionistic the video feels vibrant and real, which is a critical element in elevating the very human emotions at the core of the track and neatly punctuates the disorientingly beautiful soundscape that November Girl has composed.
"No Crying In Baseball" is a sterling debut single from a promising new artist, out today on Unisex Records. Stream the track on Spotify and follow November Girl on Instagram.