by Ryan McLean Davis
Emerging bedroom pop artist quinnie released her first album at the end of last month. Every song on ‘flounder’ encapsulates what it means to fall in love in this generation, with underlying themes of the intricacies (and simplicities) of human connection, existential thoughts, and the ocean. Consistent throughout the album is soft, folk guitar and quinnie’s piercing and captivating voice.
The album begins with the song “man” which builds beautifully into a powerful chorus with the line “No amount of nail polish could paint you a good man.” Track 2, “security question,” feels warm and ethereal, with lyrics that are wholesome wonderings about the banal but beautiful qualities of another. Quinnie expresses her appreciation for life itself with the lines “A fact on a bottle cap, proof of God in your soup/ Belly of a baby/ Pearls against the tooth/ A charm of living daylight napping in your room.”
The chorus of “touch tank” was popular on TikTok last year, as it was released as a single in the summer. It is a very honest and uncensored telling of intimacy in romantic relationships for a new generation, and of course has an insanely catchy chorus. “popcorn & juice” is a short and sweet track with a nostalgic sentiment and piano similar to that in the first track. “get what u get” is another concise song, but I think the chorus is one of the best moments on this album; the music is abrupt and powerful, and the lyrics are the same: “And I don’t like to poeticize or double the gravity/ ‘Cause what’s broken inside can rattle about in me/ The bad days remind and the good days forget/ The burden is mine and you get what you get.” The tracks that stand out the least to me are “emblem,” “better,” and “flounder.” The lyrics are specific and introspective as usual, but the melodies are nothing special. “promised” closes with the lines “Tomorrow isn’t promised, but I woke today/ I don’t really care how long I get to stay/ So long as I’m gone once I’ve felt everything,” evoking such a blissful existential feeling. “jake’s car” seems to be the perfect track to end the album, as it’s a one-minute anecdote about a still moment in life, and ends abruptly with the music being cut off. quinnie is going on her first tour this year! She’ll be in LA, New York, and London this month!
References
Haile, Heven. “Quinnie: Flounder.” Pitchfork, Pitchfork, 28 Feb. 2023, https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/qunnie-flounder/.
Levy, Jason Daniel, and Jasmine Williams. “Interview: Indie Breakout Quinnie Talks Tracks ‘Touch Tank,” ‘Itch,” and Her Complicated Relationship with TIKTOK.” THE UNTITLED MAGAZINE, 13 Dec. 2022, https://untitled-magazine.com/interview-indie-breakout-quinnie-talks-tracks-touch-tank-itch-and-her-complicated-relationship-with-tiktok/.