Ring around the fountain, I am ready to bare it all
I’m a disco baby, you talk to me, answer the call
And me, I’ve always seen you like a little doll
I wanna hold you like a trophy to dress you up and make you tall
Los Angeles outfit Male Tears, now a four-piece led by James Edward, strides confidently into a realm where 80s synth-pop and Italo disco beats pulse beneath a polished surface. Their sound shimmers with nostalgia, yet beneath the sheen lies a biting contrast—a tale of unspoken truths and veiled sorrow slicing through the cheerful rhythms.
Their latest release, Little Doll, via Artoffact Records, dances on this delicate line. Retro synths glimmer like neon reflections, their hypnotic melody laced with a modern tension. Echoes of the 1980s new wave ripple through Little Doll; it’s dark, driving bassline that propels a track that feels both urgent and reflective. The vocals balance fragility and force, their delivery teetering between intimacy and restraint. The chorus, irresistibly bittersweet, shimmers with the neon glow of synthpop nostalgia, wrapping its yearning core in electrified elegance.
The song dives deep into the contradictions of desire, a tug-of-war between closeness and control. The intense need for connection clashes with the fear of vulnerability, creating a dynamic fraught with tension and tenderness. Longing turns to obsession, intimacy mingles with insecurity, and the act of pushing away becomes a desperate attempt to preserve oneself.
Through its layers of melody and meaning, Little Doll portrays love’s uneasy dance: raw, urgent; a reflection of both the beauty and burden of emotional entanglement.
Listen to Little Doll below and order the song here.
Catch Male Tears live on January 18th at Catch One in Los Angeles.
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