A Kiss of Despair — Philadelphia Dreampop Project Forest Circles Debuts Spellbinding New Single “Surrender”

Run your fingers through, with a kiss of despair

Will you remember me this way

I always wanted you to stay

In the ebb and flow of love, longing often arises from our deep attachment to impermanence. Heartbreak emerges not only from separation but from the realization that all connections are transient. We yearn to hold on, resisting the natural rhythm of beginnings and endings. Yet, in clinging, we create suffering, wishing things could be otherwise. The inevitable goodbye, the weight of unspoken words, reminds us that love, like all experiences, is a dance of becoming and passing away. True freedom comes in embracing both the love and its loss, without resistance.

Surrender, the latest single from Philadelphia’s Forest Circles, led by multi-instrumentalist Angel Ocana, skillfully melds dream-pop, post-punk, and shoegaze, addressing the grief of loss and unspoken goodbyes. Surrender, opening with mournful synth pads before breaking into a dirge like drumming, carries a melancholic tone throughout – the feeling of digging through piles of memories and walking in the shifting sands of time. The tender words, sung in Ocana’s beautiful tenor, reflect on the painful inevitability of separation, grappling with unspoken words and the unshakable pull of an impending goodbye. It’s a plea for connection amidst lies, underscoring a poignant struggle between love and inevitable loss. Fans of Slowdive, The Sundays, and My Bloody Valentine will find a kindred spirit in Forest Circles.

Watch the visualizer for “Surrender” below: