Kevin Bronson on July 21st, 2022

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Sabrina Teitelbaum makes visceral indie-rock under the name Blondshell, couching confessional lyrics in dreamy, dramatic and dynamic songs elevated by Yves Rothman’s production.

Blondshell debuted last month with the single “Olympus,” a slow-burner that showcases her ability to swing vocally from tender to tough as she delivers bombshells like “I wanna save myself you’re part of my addiction / I just keep you in the kitchen while I burn.” Artists such Snail Mail, Talker and Soccer Mommy come mind.

Released this week, second single “Kiss City” goes from woozy to walloping when the guitars kick in and the big chorus hits at the 1:25 mark. If that doesn’t get you out of your seat, then’s there’s the internal rhyme of the line, “I think my kink is when you tell me that you think I’m pretty.”

The New York-reared, L.A.-based songwriter says of the new single: “I was sick of pretending I didn’t care about love. The song is about wanting to be seen as an entire person, the fear of not being seen at all and being compared to other women – all the things that come up when you don’t trust the person you’re with. Writing alone in my apartment, I was able to voice my most vulnerable desires, which turned into demands over the course of the song. I think the song itself made me more confident and able to ask for what I deserve. I got angry as I was writing it because I realized that care is a very basic demand for someone you’re romantically involved with.”

||| Stream: “Kiss City” and “Olympus”

||| Live: Blondshell performs along with Horsegirl and Dummy on Friday night at the Echo. Tickets. Blondshell also opens for Porridge Radio on Sept. 7 at the Lodge Room. Tickets.