S.Lo on October 18th, 2019

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On the heels of exorcising their “Noonday Devil,” L.A. singer-songwriter-tender rocker Cartalk (aka Chuck Moore) articulates a new tune, “Wrestling,” about struggling to express the right words amid emotions in overdrive.

Produced by Sarah Tudzin (Illuminati Hotties), mixed by Collin Pastore and mastered by Jett Galindo at the Bakery, the song’s easy-flowing, sweet melody belies the stammering, hand-wringing reality of the song’s protagonist, ever resigned in envy of another who’s mastered saying exactly what’s on her mind. But there is patience in being a witness to the struggle, “Take a minute to figure out what you want to say to me / Feel your words run in your mouth like a chisel to concrete / I can see you try to wrestle it out, no heel turn happening…”

Listeners are later clued in that the other person Cartalk is supportively coaching is themselves and circumstances are giving the words extra weight and difficulty, “Can we be like back then when we were nothing but friends / And I felt fine with you, reflection I hope to find soon / Wake myself up in this mirror for the sake to simply relax / Pull back all the festering thoughts we have when it’s still intact / She gets her point across so well.”

Cartalk has more points to make in an upcoming as-of-yet-named album with more details coming soon.

||| Stream: “Wrestling”

||| Live: Cartalk opens for Cheekface, with Cowboy Boy at the Highland Park Bowl on Oct. 24 (info) and for Rosie Tucker’s first residency date at the Bootleg on Nov. 4, also with Guppy (info).

||| Previously: “Noonday Devil”