Ragamuffs - “Swimming in Glue”

SXSW 2022 - OEB Score: 8; Popularity Index: 2

Pairs Well With…Best Coast, Belle & Sebastian, Surfer Blood

While Ragamuffs has transitioned from a duo to the solo outlet of Hawaiian artist Hailey Fines, her music still maintains the sweet, dream-pop air of 2019 debut Achy Luminescence. Follow-up singles “Used to Be” and “Swimming in Glue” are both soft and breezy, but not necessarily outright sunny. Chillwave grooves, classic pop songwriting, and bedroom surf-rock all flow together in Ragamuffs' comfortable, psych-pop tinged singles. It’s light but emotional and personal, like twee pop from an alt-rock perspective, an appealing sound to point to whatever is next from the subtly catchy songwriter. (Kevin McStravick) 

2020 Review: Ragamuffs put sweetness and charm at the center of their breezy indie pop/rock sound, pleasantly spread across their sunny debut EP Achy Luminescence. That island-tinged vibe makes sense coming from the duo’s home of Hawaii, incorporating some of their local folk melodies into their upbeat rock grooves. That brightness extends to Ragamuffs’ vocal melodies too, using guy/girl vocals both as lead instruments and in soft harmony against grunge-pop guitar tones and percussion. While atmospherically soft, Ragamuffs’ music has jangly drive as well, finding moments to burst out before moving into dreamier space on tracks like “Yellow Daze” explorative single “Sunset Chaser”.