Review by Jamie Glenn
Emerging, indie pop outfit Danni Bouchard known as “Luxtides” leaves previous lighthearted Bubblegum Pop group “Oh Honey” behind to venture on her own path. She has released two singles so far, returning with her third single titled “Fragile” that is unapologetically catchy in its smooth lyricism. With lines like, “You make me so tragic/ somehow you’re a habit/ and it’s gettin so hard, so hard to break” the universal lyricism could be very relatable for many listeners.
This track has a chill yet fragmented instrumentation that lets up at just the right moments throughout the track. This track isn’t something you would want to blare at your grandmother’s house given that it carries a scandalous undertone that is hard to ignore. It isn’t your typical relationship song though either, it’s made for moments of love, for moments of pure weakness. Messages of a complicated love are best communicated with lyrics like “Thinkin’ I’m addicted to sadness/ gettin’ high off our last kiss/ sweepin back into your madness.” This portion of the song depicts a protagonist who’s perhaps gone a little bit crazy loving this person, another relatable moment for listeners. “Luxtides (Danni Bouchard) spoke about her inspiration behind Fragile’s catchy chorus…
“I wrote the chorus of the song on the subway to the session, which is where a lot of my ideas come together. For me, New York is just inspirational like that. The session was with my producer and a close (female) songwriter friend of mine,” she says, “and I think the message just really resonated with all of us, because the rest of the song came together so quickly that day.”
With this solo inclement “Luxtides” works to create a more personable depiction of what a modern relationship can feel like full of love, lust and longing. “Fragile” has the desired feeling of what the early stages of a relationship can often feel like with its catchy snap beat and playful vocals. Luxtides opens up about the more personal influences that helped create her newest single…
“Fragile is about that toxic relationship that pretty much everyone finds themselves in at some point, that one that you know is wrong and is literally sucking the life out of you but for some reason, you can’t let it go.”
She goes on to tell us that she’s found out a lot about herself by being in these toxic relationships and one in particular that really devastated her. “…rereading old texts from when things were good, trying to live in memories that were in the past. I remember feeling so breakable, like at any moment I could just completely fall apart, and I hated it,” she says.
Luxtides goes on to say that it finally got to a point where she found the strength to let go, but it was a tough road to get there. “The last phrase of the song is “I’ve had it,” she comments, “and that’s what I want people to take away: that it’s okay to walk away from love, especially if it hurts.”
“Luxtides” is entering the music scene at a time when sounds as real, raw and playful such as this are rather few and far between. Her desire is to create something relatable yet strong enough to veer away from the current trap rap sound that the scene has been flooded with by recent acts. Bold attempts like this to be meaningful, carry substance and bring a catchy track to the table could be a breathe of fresh air that many listeners are secretly longing for.
The newness of “Luxtides” could play to her advantage, she doesn’t have an image to hold up much like more established acts in her caliber do. She can use this time of self-discovery, she has the potential to create memorable, long-lasting content with a long lasting shelf life. “Fragile” is most definitely a step in the right direction.
Listen to Luxtides latest single “Fragile” here.
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