“I don’t wait long, ’cause I got better things to do.”
Look, Miley Cyrus isn’t the only one moving past her Disney beginnings.
Aly & AJ, known individually as Alyson Michalka and Amanda Joy Michalka and most highly regarded by The Gay Community™ for “Potential Breakup Song” (later covered by J-Pop Queen, Ami Suzuki), are back — one full decade after the release of 2007’s Insomniatic.
Properly, this time.
The girls had a false start at a comeback few years ago, attempting to rebrand in indie fashion as 78violet with a song called “Hothouse.” It was a valiant effort to break away from their bubblegum-ier roots but, perhaps, they realized that it’s better to own their past and move boldly into the future as Aly & AJ once more.
And here we are.
“Take Me” is a lot less Hollywood Records pop-rock circa ’07, and a lot more HAIM, or Bleachers, or even a bit of Carly Rae Jepsen and Dev Hynes: warm and hazy ’80s synthesizers, overdriven vocals, and a ferocious, restless energy that bursts through the speakers.
“Make a move and make it now / When you gonna take me out?” they yelp above crashing drums and guitars.
“People have been wondering what took so long – and it sounds horrible – but music became an enemy to be honest. We were scared to write, we didn’t like what was coming out of our instruments – it felt like we weren’t going anywhere,” Aly reveals in a press release.
“Once we were able to embrace who we were and once we started writing again these last few years, we were able to find the direction we naturally lean.”
“Take Me” sounds fresh and nostalgic all at once, fitting into today’s indie-pop soundscape pretty seamlessly — an impressive feat after a decade, to be sure. But more importantly, it sounds like the work of two artists who finally found their own footing again.
Let’s see where it takes them this time around.
“Take Me” was released on August 18. (Apple Music / Spotify)
