Over Me

The 2013 EP Worms/Year 5772 was the sound of Grass Widow’s Hannah Lew testing her next move. Its acceptance assured her there was life after a successful group. Recorded by Trans Am's Phil Manley at Lucky Cat Studios in her hometown of San Francisco, Over Me captures Lew facing her fears and anxieties head-on with a sound that reflects tension in her soul. “Rain” starts with a ratty bass guitar and a skeletal beat; they move from lo-fi demo to full-pro sound upon the arrival of Lew’s vocals, dipped heavily in reverb. “Tinted Glass” adds a punkish energy that’s further explored on the alienation anthem “Uv.” “Abandon” is a gothic ballad where mechanical drums serve as an unforgiving taskmaster that forces the music to continue on as Lew finds new melodic gears as the song progresses. “Rumors” pushes a paranoiac atmosphere that occasionally resolves for a pop moment worthy of Blondie at their most modern. “Wave” works similarly, capturing both Deborah Harry’s pop sense and that cold, futuristic aloofness that creates a cool of its own.