Bedroom pop artist Otlo‘s latest single “Inside and Out” has taken a cheery, nostalgic sound and spun it on its head with dreary lyrics about death and depression. While the eerie outcome may be concerning for some, there is a certain form of comfort found in “Inside and Out” that listeners of TV Girl and Eyedress will enjoy.
The sound has an old-timey quality that works with the lyrics to create an eerie atmosphere. A tape over the softly delivered vocals and lagging bass line makes the single sound straight out of an old state fair. This tonality is a great choice for a song that aims to balance a bleakness with glee whilst also sitting comfortably within the bedroom pop genre. The guitar riff’s bouncy sound also adds to this late 60s sound. Creepy would be an accurate description of this song, yet, it’s this quality that offers a sense of ease and solace against the dire lyrics.
If we were to focus just on the lyrics of the song, its mood would greatly shift. Otlo starts off the song by asking “when will I find my peace?” and later asks “when will I find relief?” Using “peace” and “relief” as placeholders for death yet again contributes to the song’s quaintness that the artist wants to create. In Otlo’s mind, death is nothing to be afraid of. While the lyrics could easily fit into a raging emo song of the 2000s, Otlo uses the instrumentation to cleverly convey a sense of serenity over the dire lyrics. Despite being a song about death, each second of “Inside And Out” feels like a quiet, charming bedside lullaby.
“Inside and Out” is another in a series of singles that Otlo has been releasing over the past year and it’s exciting to see where the bedroom pop artist goes next.
