While partially rooted in past trauma, “Horrible Person” by Brooklyn-based avant-pop performer Caitlin Pasko resonates as a step onto new ground — a “reconfiguration [of an] internal compass” in the artist’s own words, wherein from a minimalist soundscape and untethered vox she constructs a path forward. Building from an abiding minimalist vibration that underlies the track’s nearly six minute runtime, Pasko (in collaboration with ex-Zula polymath Henry Grant) draws in sharp filtered strings, crafting tense synthetic elements which counteract a dulcet-yet-raw vocal line, one that with steely resolve serves as a lyrical takedown of psychological abuse. Such an approach serves as the foundation of Pasko’s forthcoming LP Greenhouse — the idea that such pain can serve as a centerpiece around which a musical safe space is created, one that fosters healing, regrowth, and personal transformation. Give it a listen below, and be sure to keep an eye out for the full album out August 28th on Whatever’s Clever.
