Colatura - And Then I'll Be Happy (2022) Hi-Res

Colatura is a Brooklyn-based trio that makes “the dream surfpop of your nightmares”, according to its Instagram bio. The group’s first single was released in 2018, but Colatura started gaining fans in 2021 with songs like “King Calm” and “The Met”. I had the privilege of sitting down and chatting with Colatura over Zoom this Tuesday, so here is a sneak peek into the band and its upcoming debut LP, “And Then I’ll Be Happy”.

The story began in a kitchen. Working together at a restaurant in New York City, Digo and Jennica Best were inspired to start a band, and what better name for a band than an ingredient they worked with every day: colatura?

With a name and an idea in place, they were only searching for one more thing — a drummer — when they discovered Meredith Lampe, the missing piece of the trio. As a group, they mesh perfectly. In regards to working with Digo and Jennica Best, Lampe said that “it was a huge difference compared to other bands” because they all have multiple roles in the band and share the weight equally. No one member of the band carries the team — something that is evident in their music.

Although Colatura typically listens to hip hop when they’re on the road together, the three are huge fans of dreampop and indie-pop, citing Alvvays and The Smiths as major inspirations. The artistic influence of Alvvays is something that sticks out on the group’s most popular song yet, “The Met”, which is structurally reminiscent of “Archie, Marry Me”. Shoegaze bands like Slowdive and Cocteau Twins are super important as well, and Digo Best mentioned how Slowdive’s “Souvlaki” was a direct inspiration when he worked on producing the song “Jet Lag”.

What makes Colatura’s music so great is its versatility. The juxtaposition of the vibrant, dreamy instrumentals and the often forlorn, introspective lyrics allow one to experience the music differently on each listen. It’s pretty uncommon that a song can be perfect for a day at the beach or a crying session in the shower, but Colatura consistently provides you with exactly that.

“Having that kind of duality between those two worlds, where you can enjoy something but it can also be meaningful… that was the intent of the songwriting process,” Digo Best said.

“And Then I’ll Be Happy” modulates that meter throughout its entire runtime. There are those happy pockets of sunshine that make the harsh reality of the forlorn lyricism more impactful, which then, in turn, make the uplifting moments even more enjoyable. This constant swing and flux make the album a truly emotional experience that mirrors our day-to-day life, reminding us of the importance to take the good with the bad and vice versa.

When describing Colatura’s dark spin on pop music, Digo Best alluded to the unsettling feeling it generates, saying that it’s “kind of like watching a horror movie before it gets scary.” Especially on the back half of the album, the band gets super experimental and really pushes the boundaries of dreampop and pop music in general. Though the music is typically super digestible, Colatura also does a great job of throwing in surprises to keep listeners engaged and curious about what might come next.

Undoubtedly, my favorite song off of the new album is “Kids Like Us”, which unpacks generational trauma and the uniquely strong sibling bonds that can form out of that pain. The song is about two sisters promising not to have “kids like us”, meaning children of a broken or dysfunctional home. The soothing melody is almost like a cozy blanket fresh out of the dryer to wrap yourself in while diving into the challenging subject matter. Some of my other favorites are “Absent Mind” and “R U Content”, but I would recommend “The Met” for anyone who only has time to listen to one song.

Colatura are exciting both for its musical talent and its potential. It’s hard to tell where, exactly, it will go next with their sound, but it certainly seems as if it will continue to grow in an artistic sense as well as in popularity.