Just Like Some Melting Snow

U.S. Girls “Denise, Don’t Wait”

Meg Remy’s craft hasn’t changed much since her creative and commercial breakthrough on 2018’s In A Poem Unlimited, but her style has shifted towards a refined aesthetic that removes all distractions from her evocative and economical lyrics, her elegant melodies, and the expressive soulfulness of her voice. “Denise, Don’t Wait” aims for a Phil Spector/Brian Wilson sort of aesthetic but with a dry tone and uncluttered arrangement, which connects the song to a history of teen ballads but without any implied nostalgia or sentimentality. Remy’s lyrics suggest a troubled young woman – a teen mom, I think? – who feels abandoned and alienated by everyone in her life, most especially her own mother who’s too embarrassed by her to show her any sign of empathy. The chorus is beautiful but haunting as she sings about how “in another 24 hours from now I’ll be gone” with deliberate ambiguity, leaving you to wonder what the definition of “gone” might be in this story.

Buy it from Amazon.