Royel Otis - 'Car'
Royel Otis’ latest single, ‘car’, makes for a dreamy addition to their indie-pop aesthetic. Filled with warmth and nostalgia, it compliments any and all summer playlists.
With the song having already been labelled as BBC Radio 1’s Hottest Record track, the anticipation for their upcoming album ‘hickey’ (August 22nd) continues to build rapidly.
From the opening chords, ‘car’ drops listeners into a lo-fi, cinematic soundscape - stripped-back but still retaining a catchy kick. The production is intimate yet polished, finding a perfect balance between comfortability and professionality.
The chorus dives into a shift from familiarity to realisation, “Yeah, I’ll meet you in the car on the corner / But we know it’s gotta change sometime / You know I love the taste of your water / But I think it’s time to say goodbye”. It taps into universal moments of emotional limbo, not knowing the next step while still being glued to what used to be. ‘car’ is yet another prime example of how Royel Otis can take a difficult emotion and turn it into an easily digestible track.
After teasing the track at various pop-up shows in LA, New York, and Toronto, Royel Otis finally gave ‘car’ a proper live debut at The Governors Ball, where it became abundantly clear that this song is well and truly approved by fans (as if playing to legions of supporters outside who didn’t make it into the acoustic shows wasn’t enough of an indication already.)
The band are currently about to just about hit every mainstream festival, including Glastonbury, Lollapalooza, Outside Lands, Reading & Leeds, and many more. Alongside a busy Summer of festival madness, Royel Otis have recently announced their upcoming tour ‘meet me in the car’ where they will headline cities across North America from August to September. With all of this in the pipeline, it’s safe to say there’s plenty of chance to catch the indie-pop masters at some point this year.
Royel Otis have carved ‘car’ into the perfect melancholic summer tune. If this track is representative of ‘hickey’, their upcoming album promises to be their best work yet in showing the growth and maturity in all areas of their musical career. ‘car’ isn’t just a song - it’s a mood.
Words by Cameron Cookson
