Someplace, Somewhere cloisters themselves in electro-ambience on his new single “when u cry.” The track also serves as a fresh preview of his forthcoming debut album, Wings or Stars, which arrives sometime in late November. Its five tracks find the 23-year-old artist grappling with his relationship with religion, as well as bouts of anxiety and depression.
In a lot of ways, “when u cry” is a reflection of the circumstances under which Nikolas Burciaga — the Chino Hills native behind the project — writes, produces, and mixes the music he creates as Someplace, Somewhere. Entrenched in a self-imposed isolation that solitude inevitably seeps into his music. Be it in the form of cavernously spacious soundscapes or a lyricism that explores the very bedrock of his emotive depths.
“Bleeding when u cry,” he sings at the song’s onset. “Knowing it ain’t right.” A ghostly echo of backing vocals traces his own as they both float against the resonant strums of a guitar. Soon they’re joined by a gallop of beats that lend his words a poignant urgency: “I try to remember in a new light / I tried to remember everything that made me feel this way.”
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As the ebb and flow of its melody start to crest, the whole wave of sound eventually drops. Leaving behind only the resounding sound of the repeated words — “I won’t be there” — glimmering in the gloam of its atmospherics. But it’s not long before a new surge of beats ripples back into view, rumbling to the surface along with a burst of scintillating synths.
When the thunderous oscillation between ecstatic electronica and impacting drums reaches a breaking point, the song takes another turn as the undulating melody is replaced by a single acoustic guitar. A recording of birds twittering in the background as Someplace, Somewhere all but stitches his heart on his sleeve in the song’s intensely personal outro.
We recommend watching the accompanying lyric video, filmed and edited by Sean Wayne Lu, to further immerse yourself in the ethereally personal nature of both its songwriting and visuals. Its dusk shots of Burciaga against a horizon split by daylight and the dark expanse of night only make the song’s melancholy all the more eerily beautiful.
“Writing songs is something I’ve always had to do. It’s my way of pathfinding, reflecting, and growing,” he expressed on Instagram. “It’s an honor to be present during this time and to be able to create and share. I hope the music will find its way into your life with comfort and new meaning.”
Words: Steven Ward
Visit Someplace, Somewhere on their Instagram and TikTok to stay updated on new releases and tour announcements.
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