Katmaz’s “Alone (With Me)”

Pop fans have a lot to be excited about this year, and the biggest reason why has more than a little something to do with independent artists like Katmaz, whose new single and music video “Alone (With Me)” is bringing in a fresh wave of listeners eager to hear something untethered to corporate trends. In an era increasingly defined by its experimental ethos, Katmaz’s “Alone (With Me)” toes the line between pristinely surreal pop and hybrid alternative rock rebelliousness, striking a balance with a simple harmony and a sonic depth that would make more psychedelic acts green with envy. It likely wasn’t conceived with the idea of inevitably raking in the multimillion-dollar checks that come with scoring a top-charting single, but at the same time, I think that’s why it’s as organically charming as it is.

There’s nothing particularly streamlined about “Alone (With Me);” the rhythm recedes in the middle and returns with a forceful assault as we near the finish line in the song, and while the fluidity of the instrumentation is never interrupted, there’s a lot of acrylic textures to every component here, from the bassline to the vocal and back to the muted strings that guide the melody along from beginning to end. Katmaz’s new single, and to a lesser extent the music video that was made in support of its release, isn’t something that I would qualify as radio-friendly outside of the alternative/college end of the dial, but when you think about just how many indie tracks are made exclusively with the intention of catapulting an unknown voice into superstardom, “Alone (With Me)” becomes somewhat of a rare gem in a sea of artistic sameness too pretty to be passed over.

Mindy McCall