Teen Idle - "Burning"
We’ve been following Teen Idle, the project of Asbury Park-based songwriter Sara Abdelbarry, since the very beginning. Back in mid-2020, we spoke with Adelbarry immediately following the release of Teen Idle’s debut EP, Insomniac Dreams, a mature-sounding first effort that displayed her already strong grasp of the essential sonic tenets of shoegaze and dream pop. Her intricate guitar playing, synth stacking, and home recording skills were already well-refined back then, so it’s no surprise that her latest single, “Burning,” captures an artist doing it all and then some.
Adelbarry recorded nearly every instrument on “Burning,” and in listening to the way the song ebbs and flows, that seems to be a very calculated decision. She carefully uses each moment to set the scene, exerting precise control over how the narrative unfolds with specific instrumental accents. When Adelbarry describes watching “the city burn,” her guitars flicker quickly like a flame to a match. Towards the end of the third verse as she sings “all those little feelings are never coming back,” there’s a very brief guitar reprieve, which in a way, captures the sudden impact that accompanies such a realization. Every puzzle piece fits perfectly on “Burning,” demonstrating how Adelberry has meticulously developed her own style that’s emotionally heavy with a matching musical precision.
“Burning” dropped back in February, but earlier this month, Adelbarry shared a cinematic video to accompany the track. The powerful video follows a female protagonist as she attempts to cope with the weight of physical and emotional abuse. Adelbarry recently shared a bit about the process behind creating the video, which actually happened pretty far away from her hometown of Asbury Park:
‘Burning’ is mostly about the sting of trying to chase after an unrequited romance, but the music video tackles a very different subject: physical and emotional abuse and the precarious position that often puts women in. The story that fuels the music video isn’t based on my own personal experience, but when the idea was pitched to me, I was amazed how well the trajectory of the song seemed to align with the subject matter and the emotional climax of the story.
The video is a passion project that I’m grateful for Chamber Six Media to have ideated, created, and filmed thousands of miles away from me in Fargo, North Dakota. I’m hoping the video, which really feels like it doubles as a short film, puts battered women’s voices at the forefront and celebrates female resilience and strength. Supporting this idea, so many women were involved in building the video from the ground up, from the actors, to the locations, to makeup, to the extras, and the song itself.
Watch the video below!
“Burning” is available to purchase on Bandcamp. You can also listen to it on your streaming platform of choice. Keep up with Teen Idle by following them on Instagram.
You can catch Teen Idle performing tonight at Finnegan’s in Hoboken. ØM-53 and Sonic Blume are also on the bill. Look At My Records! own Tom Gallo will be spinning records all night long. The music starts at 8 p.m!
If you’re interested in learning more about the project, then check out our in-depth podcast interview with Adelbarry from 2020.
