Self-described as ‘gothic nova’, Madrid-born, Brooklyn-based artist Sandy Davis AKA Pecas blends the sounds of smooth 80’s disco synths and futuristic electronic drum loops before topping it all off with a mystifying, sultry voice. After her 2018 debut EP After Dark, and the amazing “T-Shirt” released last year, the artist furthers her lush soundscapes and flexes her honey-smooth vocal chords once again with latest single “Hired Gun”.

Written with the notion of exploring “the nature of love under the strain of capitalism”, “Hired Gun” is surprisingly airy, evoking a dreamlike atmosphere. The simplistic chimes and stripped back trilling synths soothe as Pecas weaves a magic spell upon the listener, captivating with each carefully considered line. Davis‘s piercing head voice has a similar alluring power to that of FKA Twigs. Those soaring high notes have a hypnotic tendency, like a mythical siren calling sailors to sea, luring them into a false sense of security before striking.

Despite its gentle lulling and its soft facade, the track is beautifully layered with sharp edges. Underneath the main body of the track, there are some clips that sound like old TV footage, lost tapes that have since been discovered and added as a grainy texture. All these details make “Hired Gun” such a visceral listening experience. There are small asides to be found embedded in the track like the presence of a saxophone played solemnly for only a beat or two before disappearing into the world of the track.

The combined effect of these sonic movements is a feeling of timelessness; Pecas has created a track that exists in its own place outside of space and time. By juxtaposing the airy wind chime-like tones, the naturalistic drums that call to mind a pulsating heartbeat and the 80’s sounding synths, “Hired Gun” acts as a tale for everyone, everywhere at all times.

The track is released with its shorter companion, “A Hired Gun is Nothing More,” which comes with a 3D video, courtesy of Andrew Strasser.

This track is now added to our playlist Best Tracks of 2020.

“Eat Me” contrasts the light, pop-style production and the high tones of her angelic voice with lyrics which can be described as just short of macabre. The track was inspired by the death of Dolly’s husband, who died from a terminal illness in 2018, as well as one of their shared heroes, Edgar Allan Poe. His poem “Annabel Lee”, which is referenced in the lyrics, holds a special place in Dolly’s heart, as her late husband recited it to her at their first meeting.

“It curls around the desire to overcome sickness, desperation and pain in my scream for the escapism of sex and pleasure and of being ‘eaten’, ‘beaten’, ‘raped’, ‘tied down’ or overpowered (by lust),” explains Dolly. “It does so by interlacing “Annabel Lee” into my personal story, mirroring both narratives as well as turning them upside down. Both depict the terrible trauma of a loss of virginity or of a tender state of paradisiac innocence. “Eat Me” has a calming and healing allure and wishes to unlock the aura and definition of beauty as ‘nothing but the beginning of terror.’”

The video was shot and directed by Andrew Strasser while self-styled and produced by Dolly Bing Bing. It features themes ranging from all types of pleasure, from a garden in bloom to what heavily resembles a sex dungeon, and further references Edgar Allan Poe with Dolly wearing black wings – perhaps a reference to his poem “The Raven”?

“The video plays with the cruel waves between desire and death, bondage and battle, arcadia and madness, eventually dissolving into the calming sand of a faraway Poe-like ‘kingdom by the sea,’” she explained. Watch below.

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