Ahhhhhh, where do I even start with this song? bad feelings ;^( literally means SO much to me. I don't think the day that I forget a single line of this song will ever come. I first discovered Kara's Walk Home through this song more than 6 years ago by pure coincidence. I'd been getting into emo music like, for real, none of that gay p!atd stuff I liked previously (still do), and hearing something like this was a truly new experience to me... The kind of whiny vocals, somehow sounding tired and full of energy at the same time, laid on top of the optimistic guitar, piano, and horn melodies and repeating bassline, all building up to somewhere after the 6 minute mark where the song becomes solidified as a masterpiece in my eyes.
The lyrics of this song were not only what younger teen me needed, but what I seem to need more every day as I grow up and try my hardest to get through college. The band members yelling "WE'RE STILL BREATHING" after the 45 seconds of quick spoken anecdotes building up never fails to make me cry, no matter the setting I'm in. This has gotten me fired from 7 jobs. As the band puts it shortly, "it's about being sad and envious when other people can survive more easily than you". I can't think of a song I've ever related more to -- every day of my life for the past who-knows how long has felt like it jsut consists of me trying to get by and decipher what I'm expected to do, what I expect myself to do, while it seems like the people around me have it all, or most of it, figured out. And I know that last part isn't true, which is why I feel like this is a song everyone should hear. I know, I know, it's not everyone's cup of tea. Kara's Walk Home's sound is kind of reminiscent of Brave Little Abacus in its sloppiness and borderline-annoying grandiosity. For me, it was love at first listen, but if nothing else I am of the belief that this song's lyrics should be lauded as classic contemporary poetry.
Don't even get me started on the rest of this band's catalog, though I'm sure the time will soon come that I once again write about them here or in the Kara's Walk Home eshrine I have had planned since 2022. This song is off their debut album, and they've since released two singles, a demo on a charity compilation, and a LONG-AWAITED second album in 2022. If you're still reading at this point I strongly encourage you (beg you) to (please) check out I don't want to look at the stars and anythign and everything Kara's Wak Home on bandcamp, Spotify, YouTube, or whatever your platform of choice for music purchase/streaming is.

This is a cover by Sweet Pill of legendary emo song The Medic by Foxing, originally from their album The Albatross, which turned ten years old on November 12th :D The original album is incredible, the beautiful and painful vocals on this song standing out, and the ten year anniversary release is full of covers from amazing bands I also love dearly (e.g. Home is Where + Hey, ILY). Listen to the original here! Sweet Pill's rendition of this song makes for a more laid-back but just as pained sound thanks to the instrumentals' mixing and Zayna Youssef's smooth voice and fluid enunciation. Sweet Pill has some amazing music so check them out! As a side note I'm seeing Foxing in concert in February along with The Hotelier, in honor of both of their most well-known albums turning 10. I'm so excited!