New York singer-songwriter Emily James’ latest single, “Suburbia,” is the first chapter of her forthcoming EP, “Summer Nostalgia,” a call to come and enter a world of longing and lost time. A tender mix of personal storytelling and stirring music, Emily renders a cinematic picture of young love, distance, and the places that outlast us, even after we have moved on from them.
From the moment it starts, “Suburbia” is the equivalent of riffling through every lyric a frozen frame of a moment that felt endless. The song follows a narrator looking back on a period of time in her life, reliving a high school romance that once defined her universe. The instrumental parallels this bittersweet contemplation, as gentle guitar chords and ethereal production surround Emily’s ghostly vocals. Her voice has a tenderness that turns the lyrics into something personal as if she’s sharing a secret that only she and the listener share.
The song’s accompanying music video deepens this sense of nostalgia. Emily takes on the role of the narrator, revisiting the innocence and intimacy of young love through the context of small, everyday moments, ones that, in retrospect, hold the most gravity. The imagery beautifully underscores the song’s theme, weaving together visions of a current ache and bursts of the past, reminding us that certain people, reflective places, and experiences score us, and that imprint never goes away.
The first peek into “Summer Nostalgia,” “Suburbia,” feels like a fitting introduction to what can be expected from a deeply introspective, emotionally rich project. While part of the song is a love story, it also meditates on how our hometowns and the people we once knew influence us, even when we’re moving on. We can all relate to it, the way the scent of a street, the notes of music playing on the radio, or the glow of an old-time can take us to a time in our lives when things seem a little more straightforward but so much more profound.
Emily James has created something really special with “Suburbia.” It’s a song that tells a story and makes you feel it. “Summer Nostalgia” is a stunning jaunt down memory lane that subscribes to the notion that sometimes, the louder the echo, the more beautiful the memory.
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Connect with Emily James on Instagram – @emilyjamesmusic
