fanclubwallet - “That I Won’t Do”

SXSW 2022 - OEB Score: 7; Popularity Index: 6

Pairs Well With…The Postal Service, Wet Leg, Sasami

Bedroom pop, twee rock, and synth pop blend in fanclubwallet’s early catalog, lo-fi reflections of power pop delivered with whispered elegance. The Canadian artist leans on experimental layers, minimally distributed over a soft, indie folk core. Fanclubwallet released her debut EP Hurt Is Boring in 2021, a woozy collection of pop songs, like earworm pop slowed down and mined for emotionality. There’s bounce in the four-on-the-floor rhythms and sparkly synth melodies that highlight her songs, taking a track like “C’mon Be Cool” that would be a grunge-pop number and adding handclap percussion and tight, major phrases to turn it into something more personal and endearing. Fanclubwallet’s most recent single is also her strongest to date - check out the balance of sweet and somber that defines key track “That I Won’t Do” for a taste of where she could be heading next. (Kevin McStravick)