Ones2Watch Home

Photo: Brandon Dudley

LA-based Korean artist Deb Never has finally dropped her third and "final" EP, Thank You For Attending. Full of dazzling instrumentation and earth-shattering production, the six-track body of work is transparently emotional and requires the listener to embrace their vulnerability.

"Thank You for Attending is a collection of songs inspired by anecdotal moments in my life, where I've felt the high of life, the comforting moments of love, and the pain of its aftermath," Never shared in a statement. "It's my dear and final EP that I'm excited to perform and showcase to fans all over the world and give them the experience of Deb Never."

On record opener "Momentary Sweetheart," Never gives voice to the bristling feeling of needing someone when most alone. Her delicate verse juxtaposes a bombastic medley of guitars that grind away at her desire and longing. The song becomes this rollicking anthem that manages to electrify as it echoes the deflation of the heart. "'Cause only when it's gone, you look for something new / Well, don't you hate when I go?," she wails against the raucous collapse of sound. The poignant moment captures all the melancholic beauty and rapt energy as she reckons with her need for someone to connect with and the vast shortcomings of the person she's stuck with.

As the record continues on, listeners are transported through the grainy indie rock world of "5 O'Clock," with thrilling instrumentals and vocals that inspire the listener to let their hair down and go on an adventure. The smooth contemporary direction of "Say" and "Open Season" serve as a brief reprieve before the flashy "Mania & Bliss." The track is an unexpected yet divine detour into hyperpop aesthetics. It carries the listener to the party's peak with its spinning, dance-inducing beats, making it the perfect high before the comedown that is the EP's beautiful finale.

The EP's closer, "Paper Houses," is a mellow bald that explores the artist's fragility and the need to find refuge in loved ones. Melancholic and symbolic of the low following the high, Never strips herself down. Over breezy guitar riffs, she melodically divulges that she always felt like she was toughing out life until the person who captured her heart came into her life. In the chorus, she opens up, singing, "I'm not as tough as I could fake it, maybe / And when it rains, it pours, I need somewhere to go / This house ain't a home without you."

Thank You For Attending is a diverse, precise presentation of Never's artistic vision. With its array of bouncing pop hooks, angsty guitar sonics, and breakbeat-inspired, left-field dance moments, the EP synthesizes a variety of genres and moods, using Never's inward-facing lyricism as a through-line. Although it's her "final" EP, the release is also a perfect starting point for a new stage of her career, building up to an era that we should all be eagerly anticipating.

Listen to Thank You For Attending below: