insignificant other

insignificant other started in a video chat room. sim morales confided in friends joined together by facebook groups and the passion shared inside them, that they wanted to start writing songs under that name. it seemed like a smirking reference to entering an uneasy space: writing songs about being a queer person of color that also mused about sailor moon, brains tickled by technology, and the infinite potential of a new crush. years later, insignificant other’s brought us their debut lp, and it’s taken the project’s thematic elements to a different headspace. the record’s called i’m so glad i feel this way about you, and the songs shimmer to match that sentiment. morales’ love for pop bombast and stripped production find comfortable middle ground.

whether that comes through best on clipped, punkier moments like “un mensaje” or the synth percolating through “freya” might just be up to what version of indie-pop satisfies a listener most. but beneath this hot pink veneer and the nods to rewatching heathers or america’s next top model burbles a desperate desire to be understood by close confidants or potential partners alike. insignificant other is a project built on emotional extremes, like those on “bitter sweetness,” where morales shouts over a building, anthemic backdrop, “but i won't know balance when you're not around.” each track gets delivered with the care of a tense secret and the urgency of treating each interaction like it’s set up to be the last one

[james cassar]