Alt rock – Page 3 – 7th Level Music

Rayon’s “Running” away with their new single.

Portland alt-rock / post-punk outfit Rayon present their latest single ‘Running’, a propulsive exploration of the anxiety that comes with watching loved ones struggle with cycles of addiction that they can’t shake – and the sound of a tape echo that’s about to stop working. Intentionally preserving the noise of pausing, rewinding, and fast-forwarding to heighten the song’s frantic pace, its sound can be considered a study in tension and tape, the video conveying a sense of lo-fi capers involving a Citroen Wagon.

Found on the flip side of the single ‘Shopping / Running’ (also available on 7″ vinyl via Little Cloud Records), ‘Running’ is perhaps even more stunning than the whacky A-side ‘Shopping’, a tongue-in-cheek ode to consumerism and travel, written by someone who happens to travel and consume a bit.

Founded by long-time North Portland resident and Detroit-area native Eric Sabatino, Rayon now also involves members of other notable Portland bands – Sun Atoms, Yuvees, Pastilla and Martha Stax – namely Anna Sabatino, Riley McLaughlin, Eric Rubalcava and Derek Longoria-Gomez.

‘Running’ is based on a relentless bass and drum groove that lived in Sabatino’s head for months before finally taking shape in the studio. To capture the song’s unsettled emotional landscape, the band leaned into the mechanical unpredictability of a dying Dynacord tape echo. By funneling guitars and vocals through the aging machine, they achieved a haunting, warped soundscape where the pitch and speed constantly bend and shift. Feeling as though it is physically straining under its own weight, this song mirrors the very themes of instability it describes.

“‘Running’ was built around a bass and drum groove I was kicking around in my head for months. The guitars and vocals are the sound of a tape echo called “dynacord” that’s barely working, bending and moving the speed and pitch of everything we run through it. Those parts wouldn’t have come out like that if I wasn’t trying to write a guitar part while plugged into that machine.” says Eric Sabatino.

The video for ‘Running’ offers a gritty, nostalgic look at the band’s world, captured entirely on a vintage Handycam, following the band in their meticulously restored Citroen wagon. Embracing the track’s jerky energy, their journey concludes with a grainy, evocative sequence of freeway signs leading into Seattle—a slow-burn outro that grounds the video’s high-energy antics in a sense of place and movement.

“The video was shot on an old handycam camcorder we found in the back of a closet. The battery miraculously held a charge. It came with a tape of someone’s school play, which we taped over (sorry to whoever’s family that was). It features the Citroen wagon from the ‘Shopping’ video. I worked on that car for months. So glad it didn’t break down during these two long video shoots,” says Eric Sabatino.

“We drove around all day picking everyone up at their home, work, local bar, favorite little shop, and went to band practice. We filmed the antics and capers along the way. Sometimes we let friends and strangers hold the camera and film us. I transferred and edited it over 2 late nights, trying to capture as much pause, rewind, and fast-forward noise as I could, timing the cuts to capture the jerky energy of the song. I love the outro and the slow noisy shots of the freeway signs leading to Seattle.”

In contrast, the video for ‘Shopping’ – filmed with their awesomely nostalgic Super 8 video – was born of near-burnout and a revitalizing trip south of the border, showcasing antics in several grocery stores there before eventually being kicked out.

Sabatino broke tradition with this release, deciding to mix the album together with famed recording engineer Larry Crane (Cat Power, Sleater-Kinney, The Decemberists, The Go-Betweens, Elliott Smith, Death Cab for Cutie) at Jackpot Recording and Timothy Stollenwerk (Yo La Tengo, Grouper, Morphine) at Stereophonic Mastering.

Rayon spent last winter honing these and other songs through a series of live shows, including an epic trip to Guadalajara, which served as creative fodder for the band’s latest inspiration and re-invigoration. Recording on rainy weekends in a garage studio packed with old reel-to-reel tape machines, partially-functional tube amps, and leaky British motorcycles, these songs were recorded onto 16 tracks of 1/2” tape, while running the tracks through a slightly-wonky sounding tape echo.

Before forming Rayon, Eric Sabatino spent years playing with bands in Southern Michigan and Portland, sometimes with as many as six projects on the go at the same time. Self-described as “a guy who grew up on 80’s/90’s post punk and grunge trying to reconcile their love of R&B, Soul and 60’s British Pop”, Sabatino is now fully focused on this one project, built on the experience of years of writing, collaborating, studio work and touring with some of the Pacific Northwest’s hardest working bands.

The ‘Shopping / Running’ single is out now, available both digitally and as a limited pressing of 150 blue transparent 7″ record and 150 black 7″ vinyl. It can be ordered in all formats via Bandcamp, with this snazzy vinyl also available via Little Cloud Records. This is the first in an exciting new series of similar records in the works for Rayon.

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[Thanks to Shauna at Shameless Promotion PR.]

Winged Wheel release gritty new single – “I See Poseurs Every Day” – and European tour dates.

oday, Winged Wheel share “I See Poseurs Every Day,” the third track released in advance of their forthcoming album, Desert So Green, due January 9 on 12XU. The song’s greasy steel guitar riffing evokes a truck stop showdown between ZZ Top and the Silver Apples, offering another glimpse into the band’s quickly evolving sound as they move toward the release of their third full-length in just four years.

In its premiere at Magnet, Winged Wheel’s Fred Thomas explains: “The working title was ‘Truck Stop’ because of how dirty and gruff the riff was—like something you’d hear in a nearly abandoned, potentially dangerous truck stop in the middle of nowhere. It’s way more choogling and crunchy than the kraut-inspired improv of our previous album, Big Hotel, or the more textural air that makes up the rest of Desert So Green. The official title was also pulled out of the ether, from a breakfast conversation on tour that turned into a running inside joke—though it’s not without a shred of truth. We do see poseurs every day, and we need to let them know we’re watching.”

An “experimental super-band” comprised by Whitney Johnson (Matchess, Circuit des Yeux), Cory Plump (Spray Paint, co-owner of the dream venue Tubby’s), Matthew J. Rolin (solo guitar wizard and half of the Powers/Rolin Duo), Steve Shelley (Sonic Youth), Lonnie Slack (Water Damage), and Fred Thomas (Idle Ray, Tyvek), Winged Wheel is a creatively and geographically scattered collective, with each player living in a different city and bringing their own unique element to the group’s interpersonal alchemy.

Early long-distance file trading between a few members yielded 2022’s debut album, No Island. As awareness and buzz grew around the band, they expanded their membership and met in person for the sessions that became 2024’s Big Hotel, a surgically assembled murk of high-energy kosmische rock with jammed-out tendencies. Fast forward, and the band that started out as a passing idea has completed multiple tours, become a taper’s dream with sets that drift through structure and improvisation, and ridden the momentum to places unforeseen on their third album, Desert So Green. The nine-track collection takes them into a space of sharpened dynamism and more nuanced expression. Things move a little slower, and the aftershock hits harder than the initial adrenaline rush. The energy that arrived all at once in loud explosions on earlier albums is refracted here, and ultimately all the more transcendent.

In January 2026, Winged Wheel will tour Europe for the first time. The band is also set to perform at Big Ears Festival in March 2026, while additional North American tour dates will be announced shortly.

Winged Wheel
2026 Tour Dates

9 Jan – Amsterdam, NL – OCCII
10 Jan – Groningen, NL – Vera
11 Jan – Hamburg, DE – Hafenklang
12 Jan – Leipzig, DE – Noch Besser Leben
13 Jan – Berlin, DE – Neue Zukunft
14 Jan – Prague, CZ – MeetFactory
15 Jan – Jena, DE – Trafo
16 Jan – Kusel, DE – Kinett
17 Jan – Düdingen, CH – Bad Bonn
18 Jan – Strasbourg, FR – La Grenze
19 Jan – Dijon, FR – Consortium
20 Jan – Paris, FR – La Station – Gare des Mines
21 Jan – Les Roches-l’Évêque, FR – Zero Degre Est
22 Jan – Rennes, FR – L’Antipode
23 Jan – Lorient, FR – Hydrophone
24 Jan – Rouen, FR – Le Kalif
26-29 Mar – Knoxville, TN – Big Ears Festival

Winged Wheel Desert So Green is available January 9, 2026 via 12XLU on Vinyl and Digital Formats // Pre-Order Available Here

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[Thanks to Kevin at Calabro Music Media.]

Dion Lunadon releases new gritty and sizzling single – “Gold Standard Love.”

“Gold Standard Love” is the latest single from Dion Lunadon. It comes out as a limited edition 7″ flexi disc inside the Fall issue of America’s only Rock ‘n’ Roll magazine, CREEM. 100 flexi’s inside 100 copies.

150 copies will be available only at shows while stocks last.

“Gold Standard Love” is a futuristic rocker that crackles and grooves out of a thought crime, foregoing any current trends within the 2025 rock ’n’ roll genre.

“The FBI, The CIA, can’t take my dreams away, will you supply, GOLD STANDARD LOVE”.

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[Thanks to Dion!]

Grayson Capps stands up for ladies everywhere on his new single – “My Body.”

Today, Grayson Capps releases “My Body.” It’s the first new song in eight years from the beloved Alabama singer/songwriter. In the interim, Capps has remained active, continuing to play upwards of 150 shows a year and releasing both a retrospective collection, South Front Street, and the album, Heartbreak, Misery & Death, a collection of folk and traditional songs originally performed by Doc Watson, Jerry Jeff Walker, Randy Newman, and others. He stepped back from recording his own material, however, instead devoting his time to raising his two children and caring for his father, who passed away last year after a long decline.

With “My Body,” Capps jumps back into the fray via a snarling, electrified protest song rooted deep in the Southern Gothic where his most enduring work takes shape. Its release is accompanied by a lyric video filmed by Trina Shoemaker and created by Gregory Del Deo.

“The seed of this song began from a young lady’s perspective living in the state of Alabama in 2025,” explains Capps. “More broadly, it speaks for the tolerant and empathetic people of the world who are being pushed into a corner against their will and the collective need to stand up to malevolence.”

In the climactic closing verse, Capps simultaneously reflects and declares: “I was traveling around Ocala, Florida, around two in the morning and saw a sign, and it was confusing. It said, ‘God, guns, guts, and glory are what made this country great,’ and I’m thinking to myself, ‘God, guns, guts, and glory are the very words that make men hate.’”

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[Thanks to Kevin at Royal Potato Family.]

Katzin releases first single, “Anna,” from his upcoming debut album.

Born in Alexandria, Virginia, growing up in Raleigh, North Carolina, and coming of age in New York City, Zion Battle makes music as Katzin.

Drawn to music from a young age, beginning with the music he witnessed at church (his father is a theologian and priest), he was fascinated with the sound of good records. He wasn’t sure how to go about replicating these sounds, but started early figuring it out: At 13, he began writing and recording his own music, and at around 15, he became a part of a teenage music scene of bands playing New York City basements, rooftops, and wherever they could turn up the volume without (or with) the threat of being shut down.

He went on to study music at both CalArts and the New School, before electing to take a break from his studies when he signed to the Brooklyn independent label Mexican Summer (Jessica Pratt, Cate LeBon, Hayden Pedigo) earlier this year.

Today, Katzin is sharing “Anna,” first taste of his forthcoming, yet-to-be-announced debut album.

Battle wrote “Anna” during his freshman year at CalArts. As he settled into college, he was struck by how the people around him sometimes struggled to adjust to their new lives, and often mourned the adolescence they’d left behind. Weaving together guitar, banjo, and synths beneath Battle’ssearching vocals, “Anna” is a sensitive portrait of young people making room for new realities as their old attachments fall away.

Battle says of the track: “Anna is a song about distant lovers — growth in distance. To be ‘off and on’ can feel like endless torture. But there’s nothing more euphoric than to run back into the arms of something so familiar.”

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[Thanks to Tom at Terrorbird Media.]

Review: Ty Segall – Possession

Here’s an interesting one. Ty Segall‘s sixteenth album, Possession, taps into Americana, 1970s groove rock, and some psychedelia to tell tales of people dealing with economic disparity, injustice, and finding meaning in the minuscule and simple.

“Shoplifter” is about Segall, working in a store, falling for and refusing to turn in a woman for stealing from the place because he knows she’s broke. The title track is a tribute to women tried and punished as witches and a skewering of those who did so. “Buildings” has a great bass groove and a great message about holding your head up during the daily grind (“Don’t stop tonight. You can make it all right. They say get up. You got what it takes to ride.”). The slightly off-key electric piano on this is a cool touch.

Remember me mentioning 1970s groove rock? You’ll hear it on “Shining” — a song about cruising in your convertible. “Skirts of Heaven” seems to be a tribute to hard-working moms (all of them). “Fantastic Tomb” is the story of a man who agrees to help with a burglary and ends up trapped in the house they hit…but he’s happy about it because he realizes he, like the rich man, doesn’t need “crystal, lace, vulgar paintings, too,” “a silver horse that looked right at you,” or “a big, empty bed covered in fur.” Segall’s guitars mix with slightly warped saxophone to good effect. Those guitars turn just the fuzz on “The Big Day,” a song encouraging everyone to stay strong in these strange times (“Love is here to stay. Don’t let them break us now.”).

“Hotel” might be a song about a prostitute who’s trying to find a way out of the business or one half of an illicit love affair looking to end something that’s become a an addiction. It mixes piano and drums to create a slightly panicked rhythm while string instruments portray the confused thoughts of the song’s main character. “Alive” pushes acoustic guitars to the front and blends them with slightly frantic string instruments to give you a sense of the anticipation / apprehension of the song’s main character.

Segall wraps up the album, and perhaps a vision of his career’s future, on “Another California Song.” He mentions, with the help of thick bass and fuzzy guitars, how, perhaps down the road no one will be calling him to record new music or tour (“Waiting on the studio. Hell, the landlord says I go to go. A star I was supposed to be. Now nobody’s calling me.”). It’s a fun, self-deprecating track Segall probably had fun writing.

The same goes for the whole record. Segall is enjoying his newfound role as a storyteller, and Possession is a fun story.

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[Thanks to Jessica at Pitch Perfect PR!]

Levitation 2025: Day Three recap

You can always recognize faces by the final day of Austin, Texas’ Levitation Music Festival. You see the same people who’ve been sweating and rocking with you all weekend and can tell who hasn’t had enough sleep, who’s been in the sun too long, who’s hungover, who’s dehydrated, and who’s an old pro.

The crowd was light when I arrived to see Daiistar open the final day of the festival. This isn’t because Daiistar is a bad band, quite the contrary, but the people who show up early on Sunday are either the die-hards who are getting every cent of their money’s worth for the weekend pass, the people who can only make it on Sunday and have the same logic, the fans of the first band, and those who are so deep in the festival zone that showing up when the gates open has become as automatic as breathing. All of those people got to see a good set of early-90’s vibe psychedelia from Daiistar that was a good warm-up to a hot, humid Sunday.

Afterwards, shade spots were prime real estate at the outdoor stage for Population II, who brought their fiery cosmic psych all the way from Quebec and wowed the audience. They cracked jokes about touring, their own merch, and lack of English in between songs about everything from pizza to panic.

Population II gathering a large population of new fans.

Two friends, Wes and Chelsea, met me at the festival on this day, and I took them to see A Place to Bury Strangers. This was their first time seeing APTBS. “I envy your innocence,” I said. We walked into the indoor stage area within moments of the opening notes of the set and, of course, were greeted by what sounded like a saw mill on fire. As is now custom at an APTBS show, they came into the middle of crowd, near us, to perform a wild, weird set of hammering rhythms and distorted synth…something. Chelsea said, “It felt like they’d summoned us to be sacrificed and then put a hex on us.” We later told frontman Oliver Ackermann this and he said, “Yes! That’s it.” Chelsea said she was still thinking about their set by the end of the night.

A Place to Bury Strangers casting spells.

As if that wasn’t enough face-melting for you, along came Frankie and The Witch Fingers afterwards with a ton of groovy garage-punk chaos for which I joined the mosh pit and rocked out with the sweaty crowd for a bit (which you could easily have done outside as well since it was so hot and humid that day). FATWF always play well and are a ton of fun.

Frankie and The Witch Fingers casting spells.

We had some time for food at some point. It’s difficult to remember when you eat and which set is at which time when you’re on Day Three. We did remember that The Black Angels were up next for us. The festival’s hosts and curators always play and put on a set of some rare tracks I hadn’t heard in a while, possibly ever, which was a treat.

The final two bands of the night on the indoor stage were indie rock giants -— both of whom drew big crowds. First was Built to Spill, whose lead singer and guitarist Doug Martsch had some of the best guitar tones of the entire festival.

Spilling thrills for the appreciative crowd.

Next, and closing the day and the festival, was Pavement. They had a great time on stage, laughing a lot, poking fun at each other, and getting a lot of cheers from the crowd.

There’s always an odd feeling when Levitation ends. You’ve been there for multiple days and nights. You’ve made some new friends, seen the same groups of weirdos, ate some spicy food, drank too much caffeine, and your ears are sore from wearing earplugs for three straight days or not wearing them at all. You’ve experienced something…and now it’s finished. You don’t feel empty or sad, but you do wish you could squeeze another day or night out of it…and you also feel renewed and ready for next year.

See you in 2026, God willing and the creek don’t rise.

Keep your mind open.

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Levitation Austin 2025: Day Two recap

“This is gonna be a sweat-fest.”

Those were the first words I heard about Day Two of 2025’s Levitation Austin musical festival as I walked toward the entrance of the Palmer Event Center. Some guy said this to his pal as they steeled themselves for the day to come. The guy was right, as the bright sun was brutal at times — especially at the outdoor stage.

I started indoors, both to avoid the peak sun and to see Hooveriii put on a solid set of psych-rock that bordered on grunge rock a couple times (which was fine by me).

Hooveriii (pronounced “Hoover Three”, not “hoovery.”)

Many of us ventured out into the sun to see Dutch disco funkers Yīn-Yīn play for the first time anywhere in the United States. They had the afternoon crowd jumping and were having a great time despite not being used to such heat.

Yīn-Yīn getting their sweaty groove on, and on all of us.

I had time for a chicken shawarma wrap (possibly the best food bargain at the festival) and some ice cream before heading back to the outdoor stage to see Model / Actriz put on a blistering set of queercore post-punk with lead singer Cole Haden prowling through the crowd while his bandmates played tight, snappy beats and riffs. Guitarist Jack Wetmore knows not only how to play, but the right moments not to play — a skill overlooked by many.

Model / Actriz bringing more heat than the afternoon sun.

I took some more time to hydrate and get a full meal (It’s a marathon, not a sprint.) before heading back indoors to join the large crowd for The Brian Jonestown Massacre, who played to a happy crowd — many of whom (at least around me) hadn’t seen them before now. It was a good set, with only minor issue when, believe it or not, Anton Newcombe decided his microphone had too much reverb.

The Raveonettes were a welcome return to Levitation. I hadn’t seen them since 2013 when Levitation was still the Austin Psych Fest (which has returned in its own form). They still sound great and played classics and newer stuff.

The biggest show of the night, and for the entire festival for me, belonged to TV on the Radio. I wasn’t sure I’d ever get to see them, so their appearance at Levitation made the decision to fly here a no-brainer. They slayed it and had everyone jumping and moving. Their energy was infectious and immediate, and a great way to close the night.

TVOTR didn’t close my night, however. I was so wired after their set that I walked over a mile to Elysium to see Past Self and Urban Heat. I knew we were in for a treat when Past Self’s bassist started the show by playing his guitar with a bow. What followed was a mix of desert rock (They’re from Las Vegas, Nevada.), New Romanticism, and dark wave.

Past Self. Are they ghosts, musicians, past incarnations of you?

Urban Heat are local heroes who play aggressive shoegaze mixed with post-punk anger. It’s good stuff, and they seem destined for big things. They reminded me a bit of early TVOTR, which was fitting because I bumped into TVOTR’s guitarist / multi-instrumentalist Jaleel Bunton at their show and got to thank him for the great set.

Up next, psychedelia, indie rock, and a couple sets that might cause you to seek a chiropractor afterwards.

Keep your mind open.

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Runo Plum takes you “Halfway Up the Lawn” with her newest single.

In November, runo plum will release her debut LP on Winspear (Wishy, Slow Pulp, Teethe). Entitled patching, the album was produced with her new Winspear labelmate Lutalo, and was announced in late August with the single “sickness,” which arrived with a Rolling Stone featureand saw praise from outlets like Stereogum, Line of Best Fit and BrooklynVegan.

Today, runo is sharing another preview of her new album, a track called “Halfway Up The Lawn,” with a video shot by David Milan Kelly.

Unbridled sincerity isn’t anything new for runo plum, who’s been writing and quietly sharing bedroom dispatches of her intricate folk for a half-decade. During the pandemic years, she steadily caught the ears of a widening circle of listeners and soon began independently releasing a series of singles and EPs, all while cutting her teeth on the live side supporting Searows, Angel Olsen and Hovvdy.

In the midst of this wave of success came an unexpected heartbreak. It wasn’t until runo had written a mass of songs in a five-month burst of intense creativity following that chasm that she realized that not one, but two, records were forming. “I was writing like I never had before and everything felt more meaningful than ever,” she says.

On patching, the work of metamorphosis plays as large of a role as the studied process of mending and repair. Across its twelve tracks, runo paints her melodic arcs with a sharp sense of dynamics, crafting songs that capture both the hazy highs and the dark blue lows of all the natural cycles that make the world turn. At the heart of her writing lies a sort of ephemeral magic, one born from her ability to alchemize a deeply formative chapter of life into a vivid scrapbook of songs, capturing the contours of her experiences in shimmering detail.

“Halfway Up The Lawn” recounts the messy and deeply human desperation phase of a breakup, unraveling all of the yearning and mental hang-ups over persistent, near-hypnotic instrumentation. “I don’t wanna watch you turn green, but I will” she sings, toying with acceptance, but not entirely giving up the fight.

“This song is about when you get broken up with and you aren’t on speaking terms with that person anymore. It makes you feel so insane, you want to scream, you’re checking socials, waiting for a text, desperately waiting for literally any sign of life. I imagine myself pathetically sitting outside of their house waiting for them to get home, but–nothing. The line “I don’t wanna watch you turn green, but I will” is ultimately about accepting that they have moved on. We ended up using my demo guitar solo for this one, which is so funny because it’s sort of a mess but it ended up fitting perfectly with the chaos in the theme.”

In support of the record runo will be embarking on a UK/EU tour that includes appearances at Pitchfork London and Paris. Full details of those dates can be found below.

11/1 – Amsterdam, NL @ London Calling Festival
11/2 – Berlin, DE @ Neue Zukuft
11/3 – Hamburg, DE @ Aalhaus
11/5 – Ghent, BE @ Big Next (Trefpunt)
11/6 – Luxembourg, LU @ Rotondes
11/7 – Paris, FR @ Pitchfork Paris
11/8 – London, UK @ Pitchfork London
11/10 – Bristol, UK @ Thekla
11/11 – London, UK @ Moth Club
11/12 – Brighton, UK @ Dust
11/14 – Sheffield, UK @ Hallamshire Hotel
11/15 – Leeds, UK @ Live at Leeds

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[Thanks to Tom at Terrorbird Media.]

Sell Everything offer “Girls, Girls, Girls” for you.

Hailing from Dublin, SELL EVERYTHING is a five-piece collective fusing jazz guitar, off-kilter rhythms, and sharp lyrical wit into a sound entirely their own. Their genre-blurring approach — spanning indie rock, grunge, jazz, and hip hop — yields songs that feel equally at home in dimly lit clubs and on festival main stages. Frontman Tom Kelly’s wry, observational lyrics thread through lush arrangements with a balance of intimacy and detachment, creating an emotional pull that’s both immediate and enduring. With a DIY ethos and a reputation for unpredictable, compelling live shows, SELL EVERYTHING are rapidly emerging as one of Ireland’s most exciting and forward-thinking acts.

Today, the band are sharing their latest single, a track called “Girls, Girls, Girls,” which is out today on their label home Future Gods.

The band’s early singles have drawn praise from Stereogum, FLOOD, and Line of Best Fit, earning comparisons to artists like King Krule, Bar Italia and Mk.gee. While those comparisons might imply a downbeat vibe, “Girls, Girls, Girls” injects that vibe with a looseness and a sense of fun.

A jazz-leaning indie track built on warm guitar work inspired by Wes Montgomery and a rhythmic sway that nods to Anotr and early Underworld, the track is lyrically playful yet emotionally sharp, drifting between fleeting encounters, restless desire, and self-deprecating humor. It’s the band’s most immediate and infectious release yet, with a groove that lingers long after the track ends.

The band say of the song:

“‘Girls Girls Girls’ is written with irony at its core. On the surface, it feels upbeat and soulful — almost celebratory — but the heart of the song is about that nagging feeling of missing out, when really it’s just in your head. The video reflects that through the pirate character: he’s dressed as an outsider, but it’s his own perception that keeps him apart. The verses carry a bright, major feel, while the chorus shifts into something more melancholic and reflective — a push and pull between joy and self-doubt. In the end, it’s less about wanting what you think you lack, and more about realizing that you’ve put yourself on the outside.”

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[Thanks to Tom at Terrorbird Media.]