"UNTIL SUNDAY" by Bestfriend | Review

In the vast expanse between emotional introspection and shimmering alt-pop production, Bestfriend's "UNTIL SUNDAY" emerges as a luminous meditation on unprocessed grief. Released as part of their aptly titled EP 'BESTFRIEND HAS AN IDENTITY CRISIS,' this track captures the Canadian duo at their most vulnerable and sonically adventurous.

The song unfolds like a nocturnal confession, with Stacy Kim's vocals floating atop light trap-infused percussion that never overwhelms but rather cradles the narrative. What's striking is how the geographical distance between the duo—Kim in Vancouver, Kaelan Geoffrey in Toronto—translates into a sonic landscape that feels simultaneously intimate and expansive. Their long-distance collaboration method has evolved from necessity into a distinctive artistic approach, creating music that exists in the digital in-between spaces, much like the emotional limbo the lyrics explore.

"UNTIL SUNDAY" masterfully employs celestial production elements that mirror its thematic preoccupation with accumulated emotional residue. The warm, atmospheric synths crafted by Geoffrey provide a haunting backdrop for Kim's storytelling, creating tension between the ethereal soundscape and the weighty subject matter. This juxtaposition becomes the track's emotional anchor—beauty derived from acknowledging the "rust and wear" of lived experience. What distinguishes this offering from Bestfriend's earlier work is its willingness to stare unflinchingly into grief's abyss while maintaining the dreamy pop sensibilities that have become their signature. Unlike their previous EP explorations of places and people, "UNTIL SUNDAY" turns inward, examining not external locations but internal emotional territories rarely visited until "the latest and quietest hours of your night."

The production's restraint deserves particular praise. Where lesser artists might succumb to overwrought emotional signifiers, Bestfriend allows space for contemplation between notes. This breathing room transforms what could be merely a song about sadness into an immersive emotional experience—a mirror reflecting back not just grief itself but our relationship to it.

For listeners who have followed Bestfriend's evolution from their debut singles through their 'places' EP series, "UNTIL SUNDAY" represents both culmination and departure—honoring their established dreamy narrative style while pushing into more vulnerable thematic territory. It's a compelling entry point into their new collection that promises to capture "the chaos of young adulthood" with both honesty and artistry.

In creating this poignant meditation on grief's persistent presence, Bestfriend has crafted not just a song but an emotional landscape worth revisiting—at least until Sunday, and likely well beyond.