There’s something magical about bedroom pop. Not only is the prospect of turning DIY tracks into hits utterly inspiring, but the sound that’s created from these private ventures always feels refreshingly intimate. Usually comprised of layered synths and simple, danceable backbeats, bedroom pop tracks seem to consistently evoke nostalgia for a bygone era of teenage love, lust, and heartbreak. With this genre, we see an artist unfiltered and unbridled in their emotions, and as a result, we get music that feels crushingly real.
NYC-based producer Andrey Azizov’s upcoming release, “Back of the Car” is no different. It has all of the elements to make a great bedroom pop track: an 80s-inspired synth carries the tune and rests under breathy, light vocals and subtle percussion. However, this track is a deviation from Azizov’s usual sound: chill EDM dance beats that feel at home among other chart-topping tracks that have dominated the current musical scene and have become synonymous with the teen movie soundtrack. Yet while tracks like “Feel Like” certainly capture the carefree summery attitude conjured in hits like Lauv’s “I Like Me Better,” “Back of the Car” seems to seek out a more special narrative.
The track begins with four repeated rising notes, immediately reminiscent of bedroom pop artist Dayglow’s single “Hot Rod.” Yet this dreamscape inducing sound, which feels like a modern electronica take on the harp-induced daydream trope, quickly descends into the 80s arcade-esque synth beat that hasn’t seemed to leave popular musical discourse since Stranger Things debuted in 2016 and left us in a state of perpetual nostalgia.
The onset of “Back in the Car’s” lyrics only further drive us back into our memories. With sweet, breathy vocals we are immediately transported to tender childhood moments of agitating car trips and sibling quarrels. You’re with your brother/Back of the car/Punching each other/I hurt my arm. However, there is a constant theme of these rose-tinted memories being disrupted in favor of a less perfect reality. You met your hero/You got along/He smelt like coffee/You left alone. But nevertheless, the warm synth tone makes us want to savor these less than optimal memories, or at least dance until we forget them.
As we reach the second half of the track, Azizov shows his EDM finesse with a gorgeous drop that’s met with disparate electronic, celestial noises. This section of the track evokes the feelings associated watching old home movies, a mostly warm optimism with a hint of yearning melancholy. Ultimately, the celestial elements and fuzzy synth combine in “Back of the Car” to produce a sound that’s both stunning in its enormity and comforting in its intimacy—a perfect bedroom pop soundtrack to descend into rose-tinted nostalgia.
