motel void

Dublin-born songwriter Ailbhe Reddy is already a well-established name on the indie scene. She first broke through in 2016 with the hit single Distrust, which has since amassed over seven million streams on Spotify alone. Two highly acclaimed albums followed – Personal History and Endless Affair – and now she returns with a new record, once again leaning into her melancholic, dreamy indie sound. The upcoming album is introduced by the single That Girl.

That Girl may be the most pop-leaning track among our current recommendations, but it’s very much an indie-pop gem. The song opens in a hazy, lo-fi mist, with a submerged dance beat and a slightly lethargic vocal delivery. As the track unfolds, doubled vocals enter and the song pivots into a fully fledged pop chorus – irresistibly catchy despite its heavy sense of melancholy. Overall, it brings to mind artists somewhere between Soccer Mommy and Daughter.

The track builds toward an epic, gradually escalating finale, ending in a raw, almost shouted climax. A special mention also goes to the music video, which, in my view, is one of the strongest visuals in this genre I’ve seen over the past year!