Sugar High, the duo of metal musician Kris Esfandiari and producer Darcy Baylis, share their debut LP Love Addict, out now via DeroArcade. Early singles “Losing” and “Ugly” introduced listeners to the duo’s unique sound, a moody, 808 shoegaze blend that perfectly matches the melancholy of current events.
Heavy reverb and hip-hop beats form the backbone of Love Addict, and the languid, sweeping vocals provide its heart. The lyrics offer pensive and explicit reflections on isolation, self-destruction, and heartbreak, made more poignant by the rumbling production beneath them.
Though recorded long before 2020, the LP’s moody ruminations capture the uncertainty and unease of current events: “I’d sleep much better if I could” Kris laments on “Losing”, the track that initiated hers and Darcy’s artistic partnership.
“I believe ‘Losing’ was the first song Darcy and I started working on,” recalls Esfandiari. “It has a special place in my heart and marks the start of a beautiful friendship and collaboration.”
Following “Losing” came “Ugly”, their second single and first music video. Darcy called it a metal version of Christina Aguilera’s “Beautiful”, albeit one that broods over self-disparagement rather than overcome it. The accompanying visuals offer up-close, unsteady views of the duo, who unflinchingly sing their sorrows back in the viewer’s face.
