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Tess Clare’s “Part 2” is a drive down the PCH, wind flowing through hooky melodies and indie-pop-breakup-anthem goodness. 

We’re immediately launched into a danceable track, glistening with the sunniness of an acoustic guitar peeking through driving drums. Clare colors the arrangement with a halo of strings, shimmering in the background with a hum of sentimentality. Charming synth keys pluck out a riff between phrases, dotting the song with subtle touches of warmth. 

The track is perpetually golden, but Tess Clare’s narrative lyrics wind the faintest twinge of growing pains throughout “Part 2”. She pairs tongue-in-cheek imagery – “dyed my hair black, it’s official...” – with melancholy – “I’m growing up without you...” – for a double-edged tone that is achingly familiar. It's like that first deep breath post-breakup that feels so good it almost carries a bit of guilt with it, but in the form of an indie-pop summer anthem. 

Since the release of her debut EP, All I’m Used To, in 2022, Tess Clare has built a discography of angst-fueled tunes with only the catchiest of ear-worm melodies. Now, following the release of her recent heart-wrenching ballad, “Don’t You Ruin Everything,” “Part 2” is a sunlit welcome to a new era of Tess Clare.