Recommended Tracks: “baby’s out of luck again,” “pretty like a rockstar,” “carry you on my broken wings”
Artists You Might Like: Lana Del Rey, Melanie Martinez, Mitski
If you are looking for a dreamy love story, one that might include a high school romance where the typical girl next-door falls for the classic bad boy, you could turn to your average John Hughes film. There’s always drama, awkward moments, longing, desire, and love – and it’s all set to the nostalgic sounds of 80s pop music. What more could you want? Of course, you could also turn to april june and her sophomore EP, baby’s out of luck again, which contains the same elements. Across the project’s seven tracks, the dream-pop artist weaves together stories that have to do with total infatuation and utter heartache, as if starring in her own movie. We ride these emotional highs and lows with her, co-starring in the extraordinary scenes she constructs through her wistful words and lush music.
The EP begins on a lonely note with “baby’s out of luck again,” which questions the powers of destiny and the universe. Backed by shimmering guitars that bring a little bit of light to the track, april june’s soft and pensive vocals sing, “Tried so hard / Baby’s out of luck again” and “This time around / I actually thought I was changing / Changing, baby / But here I am / Knocking on your door again / Here I am / Calling on your line,” attempting to get over someone. She wonders why she can’t stay away, even when her instincts tell her to do so. On the following track “starstruck,” we understand that sometimes you just can’t fight attraction. The moody guitars and swoon-worthy lyrics perfectly establish the big feelings that are happening, as if we are taking in the overwhelming high of having a crush for the first time. Completely enamored, april june asks, “Baby, do you know you’re perfect?” and “You look so dazzling in the neon lights / Never been camera shy / Would you take me to your hotel room? / Would you pick me if you had to choose?”
As great as it is to have someone so stunning in your life, it can be just as miserable to lose them or run into issues that would make them turn away. april june takes the blame for a rift in the relationship on “it’s all my fault,” admitting, “And it’s all my fault / You told me not to fall in love.” The driving beats and lack of flowy melodies give the track a sense of darkness we don’t really hear on the previous tracks, instilling a more serious attitude. This downhearted spirit is further reflected in lines like, “You’re growing colder, baby / The sweetness of dependence / Crying myself to sleep again,” especially when we know that this person is “a vision of what I wanted.” With “emotional problems,” which follows, we hear about more of these complicated feelings. The percussive sounds and synth-infused vocals of the track overtake the lyrics at times, suggesting that the emotions that april june touches on are all too powerful to control.
The last few tracks on the EP immerse us in a world of passion, action, and suspense as april june can’t help but to fall for someone who is bad news. On “pretty like a rockstar,” she will stop at nothing to be with the boy who is “pretty like a rockstar.” Caught up in a daydream, she sings, “And I will fight all these bitches for you / I will fight all your demons for you / Oh my god, you’re so athletic / Perfect muscle tone, that’s why I love you,” letting her desires get the best of her. These desires can always turn into an addiction, though, as we hear on “sweeter than drugs.” We get lost in the sweet vocals, the dreamy production, and the different beats and melodies, which work together to convey how infatuating it is to be in love. Even though april june knows how troublesome the guy is, she can’t refuse him. This notion is taken a step further on “carry you on my broken wings,” which closes the EP. Again, we hear about someone who is both parts charming and dangerous, putting april june’s love to the test. She reveals, “One hand on my thigh / One hand on your gun / You’re ready to win / And you’re ready to run,” seemingly turned on by the thrill of it all. In the end, she is his partner in crime and will “carry you on my broken wings” until the day they die.
When describing baby’s out of luck again, april june shared, “The last time I recorded something this long was 10 years ago. It’s much easier, psychologically, to let go of a song that you’ve written as opposed to an EP… This project is very special to me. It just has more weight to it.” The decision to release these songs together at once makes so much sense, as these songs help to convey a larger vision. Each track builds on one another, be it the melodies of the swirling dream-pop or the hopeful and confused feelings in the lyrics, until we are fully immersed in another world. All in all, it feels as if we have experienced seven scenes from our favorite 80s-based movie, and just like with every great movie out there, you will want to replay these scenes – or songs – over and over again.
You can listen to baby’s out of luck again on platforms like Apple Music, SoundCloud, and Spotify.
