Track Review: Skirts – “Always”
Posted: by The Editor
Skirts is the project of Dallas songwriter Alex Montenegro, and while she’s been releasing music under the name since 2017, her latest single has certainly drawn some new attention. Rightfully so, because “Always” is a masterpiece. The first single from her debut full length, Great Big Wild Oak, the track is inviting, intimate, and temporal. Montenegro has crafted something that captures the feeling of staring into thick fog, it’s bright and overwhelming, your mind has to keep trying to readjust, but it’s exciting.
“Always” contains only a few lines of lyrics, and while these words are powerful, and read like a graph of poetry on the page, they almost don’t need to be there at all. Montenegro’s voice is so hazy that her words can feel subdued, you have to focus to uncover their meaning. It’s part of what makes the song feel so full; it’s expertly layered.
Wordless choruses aren’t exactly in vogue, so when a great one comes along it can feel special. “Always” is one such song. As the woozy verses end, guitar rings out in an entrancing wave. It’s as abrupt as a ripple on once still water, and just as precious.
The debut album from Skirts, Great Big Wild Oak, is out 7/30 on Double Double Whammy.
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Eric Bennett | @violet_by_hole
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