Los Angeles four-piece Steel Wool share two new songs, “Pressed Flat” and “I Should Forget (feat. irene)”, via independent label Bug Body. The two tracks reflect where this up-and-coming LA band is going and where they come from.
“Pressed Flat” is a blistering, 90s-inspired anthem to excess with gigantic riffs that descend into a frenzied wall of sound. The song reflects on the sentimental, tallying up the miscellanea that accumulates throughout one’s life (stacks of unopened mail, pressed pennies, carnival game prizes), and questions whether these unassuming souvenirs amount to anything in the long run.
The B-side, “I Should Forget”, is a song penned in the early days of Steel Wool’s formation, featuring guest vocals from early collaborator and now Madison-based singer-songwriter irene. A wistful dream-pop track that pulls influences from bands like Mazzy Star and Sunday (1994), the song builds from a simple acoustic chord progression to a hazy, melancholic release of the things we choose to forget.
“Pressed Flat’ is a new song; ‘I Should Forget’ is an old demo. And yet, we felt an unconscious connection between the two that suggested they could cohabitate nicely as roommates on the same 45. While ‘Pressed Flat’ is an easy rocker that inspects the things we cling to, ‘I Should Forget’ is a dreamy meditation on letting go. At the same time, both tracks embody the opposite of themselves. ‘I Should Forget’ is a song we couldn’t just leave in the vault. It’s from the earliest days of the band’s formation, when we had our friend irene on vocals, and while most of the demos from those days will likely stay tucked away in our hard drive, this is the one we’ve always held on to as particularly special. Meanwhile, the process of recording ‘Pressed Flat’ allowed us to ease our grip on chasing perfection in the studio, and track the parts a little more similarly to how they’re performed live, warts and all. There’s uncontrollable noise, feedback, and frenzy, just like how it sounds in the dive bars and backyards.”
