_{By Andy McFerren}

I feel like for most people, you have certain albums you throw on when you need to unwind from the stress of everyday life. Those few albums that have the ability to melt away your anxiety like butter on a stack of fresh pancakes. When you’re feeling overwhelmed, you can count on these albums as a respite from the chaos. 

For me, I recently discovered an album that falls into that category. Last year, the band Sharing released their EP, Good Color. Just to demonstrate how effective this EP is at calming your anxiety, I listened to this album while doom scrolling Twitter, and afterward I didn’t feel filled with a complete sense of dread. I then decided to put it to the test even more by swiping through a dating app, and I still had hope that real love exists. Could there be a bigger endorsement? I don’t think so. 

The dream pop/art pop band with a touch of slow core currently consists of lead singer and guitarist Spencer Felix, keyboardist Nicole Steinicke, guitarist Miles Larkin, bassist Maggie Mattinson, and drummer Alek Nelson. 

As mentioned above, there is a calming effect that this EP exudes. Using multiple synths on each track, the guitars entwined with each other in a beautiful dance (as opposed to a duel), the vocal effects, the beautifully profound lyricism – all of it combines together to feel like the warm embrace of a grandmother who just gave you a plate of freshly baked, homemade chocolate chip cookies. 

Amidst the intricate sonic landscape, the lyrics stick out to me. They aren’t necessarily complex, nor are they always the focal point of the songs, beginning midway through or ending with two minutes left. At times, they come across as journal entries from a mindfulness retreat, but they can really hit hard. For example, in “EVERYMINDAWORLD” (coming from the Spanish phrase “cada cabeza es un mundo”), the line, “Are you loneliness personified? I remember you” will paralyze you with empathy and understanding, feeling seen in your own times of loneliness. 

The EP ends fittingly with “Athemtide.” The song sounds like it comes straight from a monastery somewhere in the mountains where white women go to find purpose and enlightenment (only this comes across as genuine and not oozing with privilege). I can practically see Julia Roberts from Eat Pray Love struggling with the stillness. I think I’ll go practice mindfulness now. 

Make sure to follow Sharing on Instagram, and you can listen to my favorite track, “Hellebore” below.