Alyson Michalka and Amanda Joy Michalka – together known as Aly & AJ, except for that one time when they were 78violet before wisely reverting back to Aly & AJ again – are back with a brand new song.
“I know,” you might be saying. Well, I know you know. But let me tell you about “I Know” even if you know, anyway. God…
The Insomniatic Inventors of Breaking Up first returned to us in mid-August with their perfectly great comeback kick-off “Take Me,” an indie-pop burst of impatient energy. It’s basically the sonic equivalent of Jennifer Love Hewitt spinning around in I Know What You Did Last Summer screaming “WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR, HUH?” (Fittingly, the accompanying music video was horror-themed – sink your teeth into it, if you haven’t already.)
But now, the girls have really gone and done it. You might already know…I know, you know.
“I Know” is the next taste of Aly & AJ’s forthcoming EP, Ten Years – a reference to the decade since their last studio album, of course – which drops on November 17.
And it is…lush, dreamy, moody, ’80s-leaning atmospheric pop that merits an overused music blogger description: “haunting.”
Sonically, it snuggles up somewhere between Blood Orange, Say Lou Lou, one of 2017’s Best Songs (Marlene‘s “Next To Me”), Phil Collins‘ “In The Air Tonight” and that iconic drum fill and – bear with me on this K-Pop swerve – Red Velvet‘s “Body Talk.”
“You haven’t left your bed in days, and I know we’ve all seen better days…”
Lyrically, Aly & AJ seem to be deeply concerned about our mental state, forcibly dragging us out of our beds where we’ve been marinating in Trump’s America-induced depression to ensure us that everything’s going to be alright in the end – and it actually couldn’t be more fitting for The World In Which We Live Today.
“It’s gonna be fine / You’re gonna be fine / We’re all gonna be fine,” they insist.
In fact, “I Know” was originally penned as an ode to friendship.
“This song was written a few days after we found out an acquaintance from our past had lost his battle with cancer. After seeing such an outcry of love & support from his close friends and family we decided to write something dedicated to friendship and the commitment we are all capable of giving when someone needs us most,” they explained of the song.
And you know what? There’s one thing I know for sure: in Aly & AJ, we trust.
“I Know” was released on November 3. (Spotify / Apple Music)
Photo credit: Daria Kobayashi Ritch
