Glixen's "lust" Is a Sonic Sandstorm of Raw Emotion
Photo: Nick Balanon
For a song that breathes like heavy, humid air, wet with distortion and ion-laden vocals, it’s hard to imagine the latest Glixen single "lust" being concocted in the dry Arizona desert. But in the recesses of a Phoenix neighborhood, "lust" was generated out of jam sessions, a foggy mist of spontaneity birthing a sound that could have been pulled out of the well-worn woodwork of a Seattle garage 40 years ago.
What is "lust" about then? It isn’t a moniker per se, but the same sweaty anticipation that goes into every live session, something sensory and collective, sturdy but fluid, a sandbox of emotions that catch in your teeth as you brush each iteration away, “over and over again."
Driven principally by vocalist Aislinn Richie as a counter to her strict parents and conformist upbringing, the band is filled out by guitarist Esteban Santana, bassist Sonia Garcia, and drummer Keire Johnson. Glixen’s sound, evolving against the backdrop of the pandemic, was principally driven by the messy attics of late Tumblr and Beach House, but has since left some of the youthful cursive behind, writing and sounding from the place of angsty, caffeinated ALL CAPS adulthood. Along with a prior single "foreversoon," the band's crescendoing guitar sound is beckoning a later in 2024 EP that we cannot wait to bask in. Call it a whisper spoken loud enough to hear in a desert storm, "lust" is the reason to listen even harder than before.
Listen to "lust" below:
