Raffaella Turns Avoidance into Empowerment on New Single “Buick”
Written by Nadya Barghouty
Raffaella secures her spot as our indie-pop princess with her latest sharp and snarky single, “Buick,” following the energetic, y2k single “Blonde.” Although the track was released on June 1, Raffaella has been teasing this song and more for quite some time. I remember hearing a stripped down version of “Buick” at a small Seattle venue when Raffaella was opening for Kacy Hill late last year. “This is another new one,” she would say while exchanging glances with partner Jake Luppen on bass and close friend Nathan Stocker on guitar. The atmosphere around the friends was unjudging and authentic. Combined with her intimate slice-of-life lyricism, the small set made the song feel extra special. Since then, Raffaella has opened for The Greeting Committee, Maude Latour, and others, playing unreleased gem after gem.
“Buick” beginswith 10 seconds of ethereal guitar that transport us to Raffaella’s dreamscape. The atmospheric intro is then cut through with bright vocals and a strong percussive beat. The dreamy guitar is constant at the base of the song solidifying the head-in-the-clouds feeling, while the drums continue to supply energy. It’s a song that makes you want to daydream but also dance. Throughout the track, Raffaella details a significant moment of a failing relationship centered around renting a car for a beach trip. Sometimes when we know it’s the end, we want to do anything but acknowledge the truth. Phrases like “sunshine lobotomies” and comparing her partner to ketamine show us this trip was just a band-aid on an already cracked foundation.
The last minute of “Buick” is what makes the song special. The slower bridge sandwiched between an energetic chorus and outro captures that feeling of acceptance as a means to avoid confrontation. Constantly repeating “I don’t really mind,” Raffaella is almost convincing herself that everything is going to be okay. In a generation of young women faking it ‘till they make it, Raffaella perfectly captures the way 20-somethings right now are a perfect balance between non-confrontational and strong minded. When the song ends with, “Don't say what's on your mind, 'Cause I don't wanna know,” it almost feels like Raffaella really doesn’t want to know. All the hiding turned into anger and now just communicating her feelings isn't enough. Before she cared more about someone else’s feelings, but now it’s about her and her lack of fulfillment in the relationship. The sparkly guitar comes back and one last drum fill signifies the end of the relationship and the beginning of Raffaella’s emotional independence. As Raffaella puts it, avoidance turned to resentment isn’t a good move, it is a sequence of events all too familiar to people-pleasers navigating personal relationships.
“Buick” is fun, honest, and just plain ‘ol good indie pop. The bittersweet single was followed by a music video directed by Joey Bondax which features the singer dancing around the inside of a fridge with giant fruits and walking along a beach with tiny umbrellas. Raffaella’s debut album, Live Raff Love, is broken up into two acts with Act I coming out on August 12. Catch Raffaella opening for Del Water Gap now in June and July!
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