According to Stereogum, the Texas duo, Hovvdy, released their new single, “Portrait” on December 26th. The song stays true to the duo’s indie sound, which adds a crucial depth to the song’s vocals, instrumentation, and lyrics. 

The title captures the essence of the song as reflective. It details the experience of others in the past tense and the lingering effect it has on them. The song features lyrics that feel like intimate details Hovvdy has waited to share until now. The very first lyric of the song begins with the line, “It is hard to forget how it went that night.” This line sinks us into a world of regret and longing. 

The instrumentation is simple, but impactful in showcasing the song’s meaning and purpose. It accompanies each memory Hovvdy introduces to us with simple uses of the guitar, background vocals, and drum-like instruments. The vocal performance in the song is soft, almost as if imitating the fading of memories like the ones depicted in the song. It adds a lightness to the ear, but also depicts the reality that memories aren’t meant to last, and moments are fleeting. 

The idea of a portrait is to capture a memory, an impactful memory. Whether good or bad, a portrait is etched into your mind and serves as a reminder of what was. The song acts in the same way. Hovvdy’s work on “Portrait” is a musical representation of how it feels to move on, but feel stuck in the same place, and their execution of this feeling is what makes this song so sonically powerful. 

To read more about Hovvdy click here, mxdwn.

Photo Credit: Alyssa Santiago