Written by Shea Roney | Photo by Dara Bankole

Every Wednesday, the ugly hug shares a playlist personally curated by an artist/band that we have been enjoying. This week we have a collection of songs put together by Nicole Rodriguez of the New York-based project Pearla.

Last week, Pearla released Song Room, a stunning collection of folkloric vignettes that ground a presence where much often goes unnoticed in this fast-paced world. Waking in a blurred daze, Rodriguez tries to find focus through each track, working out what shapes and colors could be interpreted as when compared to what is actually right in front of her. Blending colorful explorations with whispering tinctures that bleed like citrus, these songs peel back with sweet melodies, while dynamic voicings stick in your teeth like the pith of the fruit you bite into. Song Room is a remarkable sense of self, tracking bits of growth that can often be hard to visualize when you are the one laying the groundwork. But it’s in the imaginative depictions, the acute pieces of collective thoughts and the mental dust that builds up over time where Pearla begins to pick and peel at those inner comforts we so often long for.

About the playlist, Rodriguez shared;

“I gathered some songs about singing and songs. I’ve recently been drawn to songs that mention the medium of song itself, and my newest album is called ‘Song Room.’ I am endlessly fascinated and comforted by the form of song, so here’s a variety of songs that either celebrate that or even just briefly touch upon it”

Listen to Pearla’s playlist HERE!

You can listen to Song Room out now. Grab a copy on CD and vinyl. Pearla will also be playing at the Color Club in Chicago on April 30th. Grab tickets now.