Southern American–born, London-based songwriter Brittney Jenkins emerges as the enigmatic figure of Pisgah, a moniker that enables her to navigate the wreckage of fractured relationships with a compelling sensitivity. ‘Favor’ is her second single of the year, following on the stormy come-back release ‘Cumulonimbus’, and it’s a cathartic and emotional burst of grungey dream-pop.
Recorded in Jenkins‘ home studio and shaped by Austin-based producer Dan Duszynski, this track has a subtly ’90s undertone thanks to the jangly guitar lines, airy percussion and those melancholic-leaning vocals. Those bruised tones reflect on how a well-intentioned relationship can crumble under the weight of impossible expectations; that pressure comes to lyrical fruition as the image of a plane crash or nuclear meltdown. The high-drama these visions provoke draw emotive parallels to how devastating romantic loss can feel in the moment.
This track’s authenticity is down to Jenkins‘ real-life experience, as she explains: “I wrote ‘Favor’ at a really difficult time, when I was in the middle of falling out with someone close to me. I felt myself trying so hard to meet their expectations, and feeling completely incapable because I couldn’t stop abandoning my own needs in the relationship. I know this is a common experience, so I wanted to capture it in a song the best I could.”
‘Favor’ is a gripping introduction to Pisgah’s penchant for combining indie-rock grit and dream-pop atmosphere. Over the mesmeric mix of guitars and drums, the singer-songwriter’s voice is full of bittersweet nostalgia, with gut-punch lines like, “There’s nothing there to catch my fall and don’t I know.”
Look out for Pisgah‘s forthcoming album Faultlines, due out on November 7th.
You can also listen to ‘Favor’ in our Outsiders Club playlist.
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