The debut single from Brooklyn-based singer and songwriter Alaina May, “Casual” weaves heartrending vocal dreaminess and mellow guitar twangs amidst relatable post-breakup themes. The lyricism captures the tension of mistaking post-breakup limerence for a genuine, sustainable connection.
“After something ends, even the smallest moments of closeness feel heightened and intoxicating because they’re easing a fresh wound,” Alaina May says. “You can be completely self-aware—naming the pattern, recognizing the push and pull—and still not be able to stop yourself from getting pulled in. It’s that tension between wanting something light and realizing that, at my core, I’m just not wired for ‘casual.”
The track’s “burning up … want your touch” yearning and depiction of physical desire compels with the woozy vocal and balmy guitars, into a title-bearing enjoyment. That title-based refrain combines with crunching guitar allure around the three-minute mark, for an especially hypnotic entrancement. “When my t-shirt smells like your perfume, how am I supposed to wash you off my hands?” vocals let out, the questioning sending chills as one contemplates how long the lingering pain will last. “Casual” is a heartfelt dream-pop standout from Alaina May.
—
This and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spotify playlist.
