Though piles of great music has been released this past Friday, I would feel remiss if I hadn’t talked about hemlocke springs’ “enknee1” from last week. In the seemingly infinite pool of music that was released on August 21st, this track stuck out like a sore thumb, in all the best ways. Every inch of its architecture, every detail of its design screams distinction. From the cover art, the song title, the production, the relative lack of information behind the artist, as well as her voice and delivery, are all unorthodox in their nature. “enknee1” (pronounced ‘anyone’) is hemlocke springs’ fourth single of 2023 and only her sixth song ever released on streaming! “enknee1” is the final single leading up to her debut EP, going…going…GONE!. After garnering a sizable following on TikTok with the songs “gimme all ur luv” and “girlfriend”, hemlocke has continued releasing extremely unique, yet immensely accessible songs. “enknee1” is likely my favorite of the bunch.

Aside from hemlocke’s stellar vocal delivery and emotionally gripping melodies, my favorite aspect of the track is its production. Brought to life by hemlocke herself, as well as Pop producing veteran, BURNS, the instrumentation on this song embodies the soundtrack to an indie video game with its electronic percussion and synthesized soundscape. The EP cover art works as a stunning visual accompaniment to this song because it personifies the sound palate wonderfully. The art shows hemlocke running at full speed as she enters a colorful, cartoon world that captures the essence of the music beautifully. The fast pace of this song as well as its remarkably vibrant production give an immersive sonic score to this image. 

“enknee1” has a strong sense of structure that includes two verses, a bridge, a key change, and an energetic, yet emotionally sour hook. The lyrical content of the song explores the speaker’s relationship with love and pondering whether or not there is anyone they can truly love or be loved by. In the first verse, this sentiment is revealed to be a life-long struggle. The hook begs the question, “Is there anyone? / Anyone out there to love me? /Anyone out there to care for? / Anyone out there to love?” The words themselves are heartbreaking and the shape of the melodies don’t help it. There’s an inherent desperation in the hook that, while it sounds cathartic and lovely, feels like a brutal, yet relatable gut-punch. 

My favorite moment in the track is the end of the final hook as it transcends into the track’s outro. hemlocke has a spotlight moment as she belts out the final line and the production radically shifts (for like the third time, might I add). The moment is spine-chilling and well earned because the song has a well-paced buildup that precedes this moment. Following the key change bridge, this final hook pulls no punches regarding its delicately layered production. The last hook basks in its electronic cacophony as it invites the listener to join hemlocke in the world depicted on the EP’s cover. If the song wasn’t a keeper before, the final minute of this track solidifies its validity as a markedly strong entry into the world of visionary synth-pop. 

Of all the special artists I’ve had the pleasure of being introduced to in my exploration of new music, hemlocke springs is among the most unique. Such a trait is likely the most valuable an artist can have. I’ve always felt as though having mainstream appeal that reflected current cultural trends was the quickest way to rapidly grow your audience. While that may be true, there’s a certain threshold that a lot of up-coming artists can meet but struggle to surpass and excel beyond. Though it might take a unique artist a lot longer to meet that first threshold, they will SOAR the second they pass it. The only way to keep progressing as an artist when contemporary music is so over-saturated, is to offer listeners something they can’t find somewhere else. Whether intentional or not, hemlocke springs has done that and I look forward to the release of going…going…GONE! with pure excitement. The debut EP is expected to release September 29th!

Author: Jordan

Jordan Wisniewski is a passionate writer and Hip-Hop artist from North Carolina, US.