Kevin Bronson on September 26th, 2019

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Common Souls are the duo of Nick Velez and Ryan Yoo, who debuted in 2016 with an EP of melancholy ballads and have since taken their production game in a different direction. The duo — who profess to write “sad songs written by happy boys” — go down well-trodden path of electronic pop/R&B on their new single, “Honeydew.”

It’s a tune aching with regret, as over sleek, atmospheric production Yoo yearns for a do-over, and for his objet d’affection to tell him the truth. The song is the first single from Common Souls’ forthcoming release “’99 Toro.” As summer has waned, maybe so has the romance that made it so memorable, “Honeydew” soundtracks the sober trip back to reality.

Yoo and Velez, who also play in the indie-rock band Mmmonika, met at UCLA in 2015, initially working together as part of a school competition. They earned first place in the electronic category of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest for their single “Arizona,” which ended up on their 2016 EP, “Pyramid Lake.” The new tune features an assist from college pal and songwriter KOLE, who has been featured on NBC’s “Songland.”

||| Stream: “Honeydew”