Saudade

Entrancing serenity from some of Italy’s rising stars. Palmaria are a pop group who are striving to reinvent hypnagogic pop. Originating from Italy, the now London-based duo produce wispy soundscapes with infectious drum grooves and ethereal vocals. 

Spotlighting the guitar in several of their pieces, the atmospheres produced are reminiscent of their native home. The new single ‘Saudade’, meaning ‘longing’ in Portuguese, introduces graceful guitar arpeggios and intoxicating vocal harmonies. The subtle percussion transports this song to a mesmerising place of hope, reflecting the song’s themes. 

The desperate need to be “dancing under the moon” is no doubt reflective of the obvious halt to life as we know it. Therefore, the emotional pertinence of this track is overwhelming, generating a conflicting divide between the comfortable sonic tone of the track and its melancholic lyrical themes. The track draws to a close with a gorgeous refrain sung in Portuguese that references the distance between us and heaven and the wish to escape. 

Palmaria have created a crushingly beautiful song that presents an honest description of the feeling of yearning for something so far out of reach. This level of emotional strength is a rare sight in pop music, yet it is one to be welcomed with open arms.