Zesty beats, autotune from the 2000s

The new pop group, My Idea, has just released a quick taste of what their band and music is all about. That’s My Idea, a five-song debut EP, brings together feelings of warmth, quirk and good vibes. The group consists of Lily Konigsberg, a Brooklyn native from the punk group Palberta, and Nate Amos, who moved to New York and formed the pop band Water From Your Eyes.  The songs off of this EP could fit right in with the soundtrack of a quirky indie teen film, preferably one about growing up. The songs are light and quick, making sure to never last too long. 

The lyrics “she said she wants to dance with me” ring out as the EP begins, bringing the listener into the soft, pillowy vocals and enjoyable indie rock background. The song playing is “I Can’t Dance,” and it’s quite catchy. This track establishes the tone of the rest of the songs—happy, but perhaps, a twinge of melancholy here and there.  

“Birthday” follows behind with a fast-paced, if not a bit odd, electronic beat. It features a playful pitter-patter of a bright sound towards the end, bringing the listener into the autotuned wonders of “Keep Lying to Me.” It is autotuned, of course, but it is twisted to benefit the track. This creates a magnificent sound, one that’s stuck in a previous decade, but all the best parts of the 2000s. The autotune creates a full, emotional robotic sound. It sounds like something futuristic with the sound of a decade in the past, a decade full of autotune and odd beats. How My Idea makes their songs work is that they are able to elevate the newly vintage sound of the early aughts. The autotune is anything but harsh—it is soft and a pleasure to listen to. 

“Stay Away Still” comes directly after the previous song, blending in with the last song’s note. This song is energetic and adorable with lyrics like, “all I care about is friends and animals and family.” This track shows the songwriting abilities of the band members, especially with witty, charismatic lyrics like, “depression’s a conspiracy theory.” It’s smart and airy, and before you know it, the EP is starting to come to a close. 

“That’s My Idea,” the title track, introduces itself as quickly as it fades away. It is one of the shortest songs on the EP, but something about it makes it so poignant that one cannot listen to it just once. It creates the sound of the final days of summer before the repetitive yet inevitable start to the school year once again. It’s a quick handhold to the end of summer, to the final summer sunset, before letting go. The song breathes soft electronic indie rock with its smooth, semi-high pitched vocals and stable guitar strum and drumbeat in the background. 

My Idea has created a masterful first impression with That’s My Idea. Each song is delightful and sweet, melting away almost as quickly as it starts. It creates the sound of an early, bright afternoon, where hands and legs are seated on a hot stoop, watching the summer play out. Before you know it, it’s gone in an instant, but not without leaving a bit of sweetness behind.