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Photo:  Nicolas Blanchadell

If you have listened to Bearcubs before, you know his cinematic, R&B-driven synth sound is bound to take your mind to another place while simultaneously making your head bob. Bearcubs, born Jack Ritchie, gets us again with his new single, "Overthinking," featuring Berlin-based electro-R&B artist narou.

The tune carries elements that resemble the percussive flair of Jamie xx, the warm, resonant piano sounds of James Blake, all topped with a gentle vocal timbre reminiscent of King Krule.  

In the verses, we hear an alternating sprinkle of tropical steel drums and a crying guitar sound. The chorus exhibits a pulsing drum pattern and sporadically delayed hi-hats that flutter like a heartbeat, all while the lyrics "When it's just me and you / It's hard to feel like anything else matters" are left to float out into space. This powerful combination of cinematic production and vulnerable writing heightens the song's emotional force. It is no wonder Ritchie spent much of 2019 scoring the feature film Relativity.

"Overthinking" is a preview of Bearcub's eagerly awaited sophomore album, Early Hours, which is set to release May 15. Ritchie spoke further on the forthcoming album, sharing,  

"Early Hours is a tangled day dream of different experiences...transient relationships, friendships lost and gained again, loneliness in the city, the hazy euphoria of partying and being up till the early hours with your friends around you, thoughts of the real world out of mind."  

Bearcubs' versatile production, nostalgic lyricism, and beautifully melodramatic sensibilities have us excitedly counting down the days until May.

Listen to  "Overthinking" below: