Camp Crush maintain their dazzling aura with ‘Always?’

Recommended Tracks: “Shadows”, “Fangirl”
Artists You May Like: Berlin, Kate Bush, The National

For the past five years, husband and wife Chris Spicer and Jen Deale have been making intoxicating indie pop music as Camp Crush. With a dynamic chemistry that shines through in their music and their on-stage performances, Camp Crush consistently draw listeners into their fanciful world of glamor and sophistication. Opening for bands like I DONT KNOW HOW BUT THEY FOUND ME and The Dears, the duo have impressed old and new fans alike with music from their previous EPs, She’s Got It, Run, and Feel Something, paving the way for their newest EP, Always? On Always? Camp Crush maintain their dazzling aura while also turning inwards, giving us a project full of curiosity, reflection, and hope.

Half of the EP focuses on personal choices and decisions, starting with the opening track “Shadows.” Throughout the track, Jen resurrects thoughts and questions that she truly believed had been “put to bed.” Over mystical synth work, we take in the many colors of her voice as she sings, “Will I always be on the run?” and “Will I always be holding this smoking gun?” There is also “All Kinds Of Time,” which is more observational. We are transported to a high-stakes football game, where “the clock’s running down” and “the team’s losing ground.” From there, we focus on “the young quarterback” and the possible thoughts running through his mind in such harrowing conditions. It all plays out like a movie, the sweeping melodies and rhythms adding to the drama.

The other half of Always? takes a look at relationships and the desire of having someone to hold close. On the bubbly “Fangirl,” Jen describes that desperate need to be recognized by the one who has your heart. Backed by a sparkling and swirling pop production, she sings, “And you’ll keep shining / Like the diamond that we know you are / And I’ll keep chasing you / Like I am your own shooting star,” her vocals steady and passionate. The mood quickly becomes melancholy, however, with “Breaking Down,” which touches on loss. While we are not sure the reason of an absence that festers throughout the track, we hear about how devastating it feels to be without that person. Over moody piano, we get lines like “And if I could have just a minute of your time, I’d be so very grateful / I’m hangin’ by a thread and now I’m certain that it’s breaking down,” showing that this loss is absolutely devastating.

All in all, Always? will make you laugh as much as it will make you cry. We can find different aspects of ourselves in the lyrics, be it our reflective side, our compassionate side, or our emo side. When paired with such detailed and cinematic music, the lyrics better speak to those sides and tell us how to properly emote. The versatility of this project only adds to Camp Crush’s striking reputation, making it one that will go the distance – always.