“Ugh” is a really neatly and tightly pulled together ‘bedroom pop’ by Brooklyn’s Eric Littmann, previously Phantom Powers who now goes by the playful celebrity-pun (?) moniker Steve Sobs. A minimalistic folksy groove lays the basis for “Ugh” that irresistibly loops its way on underneath Littmann’s deep, half-sung-half-spoken vocals without ever losing its footing. It’s got that certain unexplainable carefree vibe despite being influenced by aimless suburban free fall; “You’re in your hometown, checking your old hangs, your old ideas”, potentially evoking nostalgic and mixed feelings of traveling back home to where you once grew up. “Ugh” is very much driven by deliberate nostalgia that, not so much evoke sentimentality and yearning, as it makes you want to put them behind and move on. “Ugh” and much of Steve Sob’s album Heavy Heart was inspired by a difficult breakup that splintered old friendships, but it works – I imagine – therapeutically; to find ways of going forward.
Heavy Heart is out Maj 13 on California based label Waaga Records. You can pre-order it digitally or on cassette here.
