Finding My Favorite

A dating app discovery of Alice Phoebe Lou’s “Me & The Moon”

by Nathan Russell

April 15th, 2022

Okay, moment of humility.

I got ghosted on Hinge. It happens, sure, but to think we were already sending each other playlists! Bummer.

It's a lovely Monday afternoon and hoping to manifest a response I choose to take a dive into the Spotify playlist I'd received that weekend. The cover for Alice Phoebe Lou’s Child’s Play (the latter of two records in 2021 from the Berlin based, South African born alt singer) immediately catches my eye, giving off the appearance of a diagram I would have horrifyingly mislabeled in my high school biology course. 

"The ghost" has selected the introductory track of the album, “Underworld”, for her April playlist. The track excites me, and off I go on the 34 minute excursion of Child’s Play. At track 4, “Me & the Moon”, I find a song I will play no less than 15 times over the course of the next 3 days up until the writing of this piece.

As someone with music supervisor aspirations, I am restlessly waiting for the day someone comes to their senses and picks this song up for a TV episode credits roll. As a nightcrawler, this song is the soundtrack to connecting with the quietest Earth one can know. Alice’s voice floats comfortably above muted Rhodes pianos and a very full sounding acoustic guitar stuck in lock step with a very cyclical bass pattern. The lagging nature of the song’s instrumentation juxtaposes Phoebe Lou’s vocals (and lyrics) so neatly, adding strength to the isolated theme of the track. “Maybe nothings what I need”; a lyric so simple, yet so reminiscent of the need for a healthy dose of getting away. Under the crystal clarity of pre-summer stars and sprouting spring humidity, I have decided to “enjoy this for myself” and not worry if “I need some company”. In my head, I wish Hinge girl the best in her endeavors as I share my moment with the ball of sky cheese; after all, because of her I’ve found my new favorite song!