The Velveteers surprise-dropped their newest single, “See Me,” on Friday, a track recorded during their Nightmare Daydream sessions at Dan Auerbach’s Easy Eye Sound in Nashville, TN that didn’t end up making the final cut.
Something Velveteers fans love most about the band is how high energy and hard-hitting their debut album, Nightmare Daydream, is, but their slower, more ballad-like songs are where The Velveteers fully solidify their place as one of modern rock’s best bands. “See Me” is the perfect example of that; their sonic range is undeniable.
“See Me” is beautifully rich; it surrounds the listener and plunges them into The Velveteers’ sonic universe. It’s the perfect balance of sounds, heavy but gentle, dark but bright, haunting but hopeful – The Velveteers cover every base and the result is an incredibly satisfying 3-minutes of rock magic. Singer and guitarist Demi Demitro delivers a clean-toned simple vocal that’s sweet and pleasant to the ear. Its simplicity is perfect for the track – it doesn’t distract the listener from the overall idea of the song, yet lends itself brilliantly to the overall message. If there exist any underrated rock vocalists right now, she’s one of them.
The Velveteers themselves describe the track as being about coming into the light from the dark, wanting to be seen for who you truly are. The track begins with a gentle plea, soft and almost confused – why don’t you see me as I am? As the track progresses, this plea grows stronger, demanding to be heard and obeyed, until it reaches its peak, the point having been made. One final plea is made, softer, and with a change in chord progression, melody, and lyrics that change the meaning from desperation to hopefulness. It’s a beautiful progression in theme that yields such sweet results.
As a hardcore Velveteers fan myself, maybe I’m a bit biased, but at this point I’m fully convinced that everything The Velveteers touch is golden, and their work with Easy Eye Sound is some of their best yet. If you don’t believe me, go give “See Me” a spin and see for yourself.