Loaded with analogue warmth, Things I Tell Myself is the latest single by Copenhagen-based duo, Mikkel Dahl and Jesper Klinge – otherwise known as The Vice. Following on from June’s F.U. and taken from their forthcoming EP, Songs for No One, it’s something of an indie rock tour de force complete with 80s retrofuturistic vibes and a pristine melody that lodges itself firmly in your brain from first listen.

Built on a heavily compressed drum sound, 1980s synths, and reverb-laden guitars, it’s a song that in any other year could’ve been perfect festival singalong material. Though the band describe literal meaning of Things I Tell Myself as being an internal monologue of a struggling musician, the beauty of it is that the lyrics are sufficiently vague to allow the listener to bring their own meaning to the table. Take, for example, the chorus of “Too many people said you had a shot / Somebody please make the enabling stop / It’s time for you to wake up / Don’t waste your life on a dream anymore” – there are all manner of things you could apply these to, and the idea of carrying on with something when everybody around you is telling you to stop is something all of us experience at some point. Anyway, aside from the contents of the lyrics, what I really love about the vocal is the sound itself. Dahl’s delivery has a distinctive tone and a flow that reminds me a little of Joe Newman from alt-J, with a laser-guided precision that jumps out of the speakers.

The production work is great, and leans on the 1980s aesthetics in much the same way that artists like Tame Impala, LA Priest, and Phoenix do. Aside from some lovely interplay between the guitars and synths, the track also boasts a mournful-yet-uplifting slide guitar riff that draws you in. All in all, it’s a concentrated burst of melancholia dressed up in pop clothing (and it’s catchy as hell). Much like the cool retro artwork, there’s a distinct coldness evident in the track, but it’s ultimately the warmth – the humanity – that shines through. The Vice have been making waves on the Danish underground scene for a while; but with songs as good as this, one can’t help but feel that bigger things beckon.

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* This track was discovered via Musosoup. A small fee was paid in exchange for publication. See ‘About / Contact’ page for more details.