10.20.23 – By Cassidy Byrnes

Indie-pop trio, Lotion Princess, has released a new vibey, sway enducing EP, Stay Close, that explores the complexities of romantic relationships. Whether it’s learning how to set boundaries or finally letting someone go, the group traverses the complicated topics with a production that’s filled with synths and rhythm tracks that command head bopping. 

Starting in Washington D.C. around 2016, this is the bands second EP release and it’s clear that they are growing, especially when it comes to lead singer, Sasha Snoad, whose lyricism feels like you’re reading a memoir. Andrew Grossman and Tommy Sherrod complete the trio, honing various instruments and production chops. In their 2019 EP, Take Care, Snoad developed her voice through the retelling of an ended relationship but did so in a darker, less precise way. In Stay Close, her storytelling feels more verbatim making it much more personal but somehow it still feels applicable to a general audience. 

On the track “Holy Water,” Snoad paints a picture of her past experiences in, what seems to have been, a very chaotic relationship. It’s clear that there was a lot of back-and-forth, “I’m rollercoastering / I’m walking out your door / You’re kissing me on the hand,” she explains. But in the end, the carnival ride ends, “Oh I never wanted a keeper / Never wanted to be kept.” 

The second track, “Capacity,” definitely stands out in the way of production and lyricism. Sticking to the same theme, Snoad describes the happenings after a fight with someone she cares for, where, rather than confronting the problem, they build walls, explaining that they are “at capacity.” Unable to communicate, Snoad debates dropping it but her way of dealing is attempting to break the walls down which alienates the other by not allowing them space: “Will I let it all go cause you love me / Or will we stay stubborn making our speeches / Taking space from you cause I can’t reach you.” The rhythm section of the production, the catchiness of the pre-chorus, and the sincerity of Snoad’s vocals gives this track such an addictive nature. 

After that high, the EP hits a bit of a low, in relation to the sound as well as the production quality, with “Loving Me.” The lyrical storytelling is still strong on this track with Snoad explaining the feeling of someone loving you unconditionally with nature analogies: “You’re the port between the rocks / You’re the safest place I know / You’re the parting of the clouds.” The production on this track doesn’t live up to the grandness of the lyrics, making it feel a little flat. 

Snoad’s vocals have a sort of twang that makes her words hit with an initial punch but then kind of float in the air. This quality is clearest in the final track, “Reassurance,” which opens with a sort of Christine and The Queens rhythmic monologue before the full production enters. The track is essentially describing the feeling of unworthiness that comes from loving someone who you believe to be better than yourself and the dangers that come from holding those feelings inside: “All this insecurity / Grows so deep inside of me / If I could root it out and trace it down / I’d feel so free.” 

Lotion Princess seems to be continuing on their path of making records that explore song-writing in a deeply honest way and offer comfort to those who pay attention. Give their new EP, Stay Close, a listen anywhere you stream.