After the indie pop jaunt of earlier single ‘Dance With You’ (premiered by Backseat Mafia here) , the irrepressible Charlie Lane returns with ‘I Hate Me’: a far more pared down and reflective single that explores self doubt and the attendant anxieties with a raw authenticity. The emotions are expressed by a pounding insistent percussive beat, spidery frail guitars that drape across the sonic landscape and Lane’s velvet vocals that are infused with a sense of aching, regret and longing.
The feelings expressed are immediately identifiable and, while personal, eminently universal:
Hey, I hate me
I make plans with my friends
And then I cancel on them
Because I hate me
This social anxiety is wrapped up around me like a vine
I’m not fine
So I take it out on you, and then blame me
Because hey
I hate me
Lane’s expression is uniquely antipodean in delivery – adding a tangible veracity and aching beauty to the expression. The accompanying video is close and intimate, an immersive performance that is as raw as the song:
‘I Hate Me’ is out now and available to download and stream here. Lane’s debut album ‘I’m OK Now, But I Wasn’t’ will be released in later this year.
Feature Photograph: Marcus Beach-Pier