ren - “idc”

SXSW 2020 - OEB Score: 8; Popularity Index: 7

Pairs Well With…Alex Lahey, Paramore, Charly Bliss

Canadian newcomer ren (aka renforshort) debuted last month with the teenage angst EP, a sharp collection of pop tunes performed with catchy alt-rock density. It’s a listen both vulnerable and charming, a personal songwriter, but instead of softly spoken, teenage angst hits with thick hooks. Memorable choruses highlight singles like “i drive me mad” and “idc”, bursts of chords and melodies amid an otherwise bedroom-pop atmosphere. Ren has a nonchalant confidence that plays strongly throughout her debut, a mood that plays both through her voice and the creativity of her music. Funky indie pop lines inhabit “bummer” and some light hip hop influence plays through the lovely, nostalgic “museum”, always maintaining a steady pop core while finding different spaces to explore. That said, ren’s songwriting has a keen sense of disillusionment that the EP’s title implies, a youthful self-empowerment that comes out of dealing with an upside-down world that we often live in. (Kevin McStravick)