As the people say, it’s the little things that make you remember. Maybe you’re strolling through the mall. Maybe you pass by a Hot Topic. And maybe you keep walking, but there’s this microsecond where you slow down a little, peer over a little too casually, and get a whiff of that old leathery smell, hear the muted blare of an old Fall Out Boy song playing. Or maybe you’re drifting through the aisles at CVS, and you spot a specific brand of eyeliner. You know the one. It’s like five dollars, and was probably made in a sweatshop, but you used to wear it religiously. Or maybe you’re asked to review a song. Maybe the song is called “Structure” by indie emo band Odd Sweetheart. And maybe that song is so visceral, so fresh, and so nostalgic, that the emo kid in you rises from the smoke with clenched fists and a victorious smile to say: My time has come.
I’ve got words on my mind that I’m too scared to speak/And a burden that’s grown these last couple of weeks/But I’m too scared to tell you what’s been on my mind/’Cause it’s you that’s been crossing it from time to time
The song opens with crisp moody guitars that echo through the soundscape. A beeping sound ticks along behind the guitar. It sort of sounds like a phone number being dialed, but kids in the YouTube comments section of “Structures” music video will tell you otherwise. Fans insist that the opening is actually a message in Morse code, spelling out I LOVE YOU. I don’t know Morse code, but I like this theory. It certainly aligns with the song’s message. Lyrically, the two and a half minute track follows a character who is catching feelings against their will.
‘Cause I’m already broken, these last couple years/Have torn me and I have shed blood, I’ve shed tears/I’ve shed my old skin/I’ve grown something quite rough
Around the thirty second mark, the song bursts into new energy. Fresh guitars leap over the opening pad, hurling the listener into the irresistible guitar hook that carries through the rest of the song. Seconds later, the vocals kick in. Odd Sweetheart offers a husky, energetic voice that streaks through each line. There is a near earnestness to the song’s cynicism, invoking midwestern indie band influences. The drums slam over the vocals and the guitar riffs move with a mind of their own, just barely outpacing the vocals. It’s a fast-paced dreamscape, and it’s brilliantly done.
