Gearing up to the release of their debut LP, North Carolina based lo-fi duo Library Baby – comprised of Sarah Royal and Justin Lacy – have dropped another heartfelt yet dangerously cutting ballad in the form of their latest single “I Guess”. Made as a sort of companion piece to their previously released fourth single “Dragonflies”, “I Guess” evokes the same romantic and tender mood.

Yet as with any Library Baby track, “I Guess” is full of textures, nuances and care: there’s always more than meets the ears in one of their soundscapes. The synths, bass clarinet, drums, guitar and Royal’s voice all come together to create something truly magical and delightfully ominous.

The bass clarinet – played by Laura York – wouldn’t sound amiss on a 50’s film noir soundtrack, creating a cloudy mood that stirs over the ever ethereal vocals. If “Dragonflies” was the beginning of the great romance, then “I Guess” is the potential end; building a picture perfect romance before tearing it down with cutting lyrics such as “I’ll wade in our garden of weeds/as you plead and implore/you bring home all the meat/I won’t eat anymore”.

On their Instagram announcing the release of the track, the duo wrote “This one has been with us since the beginning and is a kind of companion to “Dragonflies”. Giving it new life through the added orchestration of friends has made it even more moving and magical than we could ever imagine.”

Having established a soundscape of experimental, stripped back and simplistically beautiful tracks, Library Baby follow from the haunting and tender “Dewy” with a new single, “5:07am (No).” Much like the predecessor, Sarah Royal and Justin Lacy‘s track is one that grows in momentum.

Starting with some sparse and precisely strummed guitars and Royals muted vocals, “5:07am (No)” still manages to seep with power. This is in part due to the decisive and upfront vocals, as the opening goes “When I say for you to go, it means go, don’t take it as a stay.”

This contrast between the sweet vocal work and the rather frank lyrics comes as a delight to the ears. Musically, this same dichotomy plays out. The tender guitars create a sense of stillness and comfort, yet the addition of the bass clarinet (courtesy of Laura York) and the rhythmic drums (Jon Hill) gift the track a sense of foreboding, resonating outwards.

Whilst this is unsurprising from Library Baby – “How I Say My Name” possesses a similar ominous yet oddly tender aura – the sweeping bass clarinet adds a surprising and unsettling depth to the track.

“5:07am (No)” is ultimately though, a track about standing your ground, knowing you boundaries and sticking to them resolutely and whether that sounds unsettling or not, that’s fucking badass.

Comprised of Sarah Royal (aka D’est Roy) and Justin Lacy, Library Baby combine tender, syrupy vocals and expansive and intricately strummed guitars. Having formed in 2015 after meeting on New Year’s Eve and forming an instant musical affinity, the duo started by improvising, playing in free form and embracing the dreamlike, diaristic feel that their songs possess.

Their latest single “How I Say My Name”, the first taken from their upcoming album Signs & Clues, continues much in this vein. Set up as a kind of one sided conversation with herself, we hear Sarah Royal ruminate over ideas of identity, starting with your own name. Exploring the paradox that comes from your name, accepting yourself and larger themes of identity, the track sits somewhere between ominous and tender.

Justin Lacy’s twirling guitar riffs and Royal’s vocals meld together to make an airy combination, one that sounds almost sweet on the surface. Yet the presence of a gloomy sounding clarinet and the lyrics “I warned you”, gives the track an almost menacing effect.

This oddly eerie feel to the track is reflected in the music video, premiering today on HighClouds. Directed by Kyle Sullivan, it takes us back in time to the 90’s. Set in the rural South, we see a woman carrying a pink chair around, making video diaries to warn her future self of her current mistakes.

Of the video, which feels – and is – deeply personal to Sarah Royal, she commented “The music video had me exploring parts of my past and all its ins and outs and pains and in that exploration I’ve seemed to come to terms with where I came from and how it formed me,”

She continued by saying “A lot of mistakes have been made, a lot of sadness has happened, but I’ve experienced so much connection through all of those imperfect times. So much beauty in those unresolved piles.”

Long may Library Baby continue to make us think about the most reflective of things, including but not limited to “How I Say My Name”.