Conchis - It Will Only Hurt Once (Self Release) [Alt-Pop]
You'd never guess, but Conchis was originally a Finnish country girl, who combined running wild in nature with learning various musical instruments at an age when most kids are more interested in Pokémon and YouTube. The early immersion in music has obviously done her good, with her striking 2024 debut album, Chapters - a consummately produced, forward-looking, machine-powered pop album, despite passing me by, being well received by the blogosphere. Combine that with a serious eye for visual detail, and you've got quite the compelling artist, well suited to today's picture-obsessed phone starers.
Despite grappling with serious health issues, a new album - Gravity - is on the way, and "It Will Hurt Once" is the third, and finest, single to tease its coming, and being as "Streetlights" and "Under Your Feathers" sounded great, that's saying something. The preceding singles hinted at a more disillusioned world view since Chapters - something that inevitably and unfortunately comes with age and understanding, and probably prolonged illness. The new music is denser, lower lit and more urgent, culminating in "It Will Only Hurt Once" which is something of a banger.
Snapping, growling, glitching, club-tempo beats, and an uneasy ambience pierced by jagged synth shards immediately set the tone, and provide the perfect bed for Conchis' eyes closed, soul laid bare almost to the point of hoarseness tale of love run its course; and just wait for that big system festival-ready bassline which won't be kind to phone speakers, cheap earbuds and computer speakers, oooofff. The single then gets the party started all on its own, throwing the dance floor into the intense, dark-dance-pop deep end with only a brooding mid-track breakdown for relief. It's breathless stuff, and coupled with the previous singles boding well for the forthcoming album, whose release date is still a mystery, so keep an eye on her socials.
For more darker, machine driven pop sounds that will also sound heavy on a big sound system, check out the sounds of Darkstates
Playlist Companion
Find Conchis in the Slow Alt-Pop Playlist.
