La Sante – Stick Around (2020)
That moment of post-adolescence where you are moving forward yet want to stick around has been perfectly captured by La Sante. ‘Stick Around’ is an aptly named sparkling synth-pop gem that creates a sonic representation of this moment in life. Continuing the romantic nostalgia of his debut single ‘We Belong Here’, he leaves you feeling wistful and stuck in the between spaces.
The dreamy sound of the single comes from Nikki Nyberg. This solo venture combines shoegaze, synths and dream pop for a fleeting feeling of transience as you moved from adolescence to adulthood. Inundating you with the sense of the evening sun dripping below the horizon, Nyberg has you sinking into his sonic playground.
‘Stick Around’ has an expansive opening that effortlessly draws you into the melody. There is a shimmery feeling to the melody like light reflecting off a rippling pond. The flow of the music has a great shoegaze feel to it, but there are these deep shuffling beats that just make it. There are synths pulsing lightly from the background while sparkling tones dance across the soundscape. You can’t help but be drawn into the melody as it captures the feeling of the day drifting off and the night creeping up.
Nyberg’s vocals have a dreamy feeling to them as they drift over the melody. His performance continues the drifting feeling of twilight. However, there is a dash of nostalgia resting in the lower levels of his performance. The swirling of his performance enhances the colours of the melody as you are taken into the moments when you want to stay, but know that the rest of the world is moving on.
La Sante uses a romantic nostalgia-drenched melody and dreamy vocals to capture a snapshot of life in ‘Stick Around’. Through the expansive melody and hazy vocals, you are drawn into the creeping night of the cityscape when you should go home but want to stay out. This translates to a perfect representation of post-adolescence and not wanting to move to adulthood.
