Track Premiere: Nova One – “light years”

Posted: by The Alt Editing Staff

Under the name Nova One, Roz Raskin (they/them) makes mystical dream-pop out of ’70s pop and folk elements. The Providence, RI songwriter dropped a well-received EP in 2018 called secret princess that sounded like a more lo-fi version of what Angel Olsen was doing on My Woman. They followed that with a 2019 single called “your girl version two” that sounded like it came from the same asteroid as Japanese Breakfast’s Soft Sounds From Another Planet. Those are bold reference points for a young artist, but Raskin is a bold artist.

On April 24th, Nova One will release their debut album, lovable, via Community Records, and so far the singles have been fantastic. Their latest, “light years”, which we’re premiering below, is the quietest of the three and it might be the best showcase of their raw talent. Over a simple yet mesmerizing chord progression, Raskin’s tranquil vocals waft out of them like the gentle mist of a bedroom humidifier. It’s a tune for someone who doesn’t recognize their own beauty, and Raskin delivers their lines with the sort of placid tone that’s assuring but not overbearing; as if they were murmuring them to their subject in real-time and the tape just happened to be rolling.

Light a candle, sip some tea, and listen to “light years” below:


lovable will be out 4/24 via Community Records. Pre-orders are available here.


Eli Enis | @eli_enis


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