If you pass my window, you know where I’ll be
If you need company, please don’t call me
If you go out, go on, go free
I’ll be working on macrame.
New-wave recluse Daniel Ouellette returns with his peculiar pop reverie (deep breath required, this one’s a Mary Poppins mouthful): If I Were Annie Lennox or Maybe Sade! Perhaps, I Could Live in a Castle like Enya or Just Stay Home Like Kate Bush! (The feeling of becoming an introvert post-almost dying). Crafted alongside synth musician Elizabeth Lorrey, who also lends her mixing prowess, and polished by Peter Linnane’s mastering touch, this track spins a surreal ode to domestic retreat following the fraught aftermath of a cardiac close call.
At its leisurely mid-tempo pace, the art-pop track unfurls with an idiosyncratic charm, evoking echoes of King Luan’s offbeat brilliance and the wry absurdity of Syd Barrett, Lene Lovich, and They Might Be Giants. Ouellette’s booming, operatic baritone anchors the oddball verses, delivered with a droll detachment that conjures visions of Frog and Toad’s philosophical musings…or Howard Hughes’ eccentric seclusion.
Within the curious lyrics lies a subtle rebellion: why brave the relentless brightness of a maddening world when one can curl up indoors, luxuriating in macrame or movies of misunderstood monsters? Ouellette’s gentle withdrawal certainly makes sense in an era defined by overwhelm and fatigue, warmly embracing a newfound passion for solitude, neatly paired with cozy comforts and fictional horrors.
There’s a soft surrender here; a humorous yet heartfelt acceptance of turning inward, where relationships remain fond memories kept at arm’s length. The song feels like an intimate confession whispered from beneath the covers, a winking invitation to revel in the sweet solitude of staying far away from the chaos outside.
Watch the video for the song below:
Listen to If I Were Annie Lennox or Maybe Sade! Perhaps, I Could Live in a Castle like Enya or Just Stay Home Like Kate Bush! (The feeling of becoming an introvert post-almost dying) below and order the single, out now on Meanie Jeannie Records, here.
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