"Petals" by TOPS

Never enough

Many of us live with a continuously gnawing sense of emptiness inside of us. No matter how full our cups may become, it often feels like they are never, and are never going to be, full enough. Canadian studio pop quartet TOPS helps us understand that we are not alone in this feeling of bottomlessness, with their latest single “Petals,” off of their forthcoming third album, Sugar at the Gate. Right at the get go, TOPS displays their tendency to inject doses of funk into their relatively straightforward studio pop sound. On top of the subtlest of synth backgrounds and basic rock beat percussion, sassy yet simplistic electric guitar strums and bouncing bass lines bring out the clean, but off-beat, energy of the band. Lead singer Jane Penny’s starts off delicately, but grows stronger throughout, as if she grows more confident and sure of herself, even in the face of the difficulties she faces. 

With lines like “Got a phone full of numbers / and a list full of names / No one to call, not much to say” and “A long haired heiress / with someone else to blame,” Penny feels like even though on the surface it seems like she has it all, she still feels like she’s missing something; an all too relatable sentiment. Ending with the line, “Can you take it
 / if you never get your fame?” she acknowledges that has no other choice but to accept living with the fact that she may never be satisfied with her accomplishments. A free-flowing, undistorted guitar solo rounds out the song, very reminiscent to the style of guitar solos often present in the Florida-based lo-fi pop duo SALES’ music. TOPS’ “Petals” is a refreshing brand of pop: something with a simple, but unique sound that’s relatable without being obvious and contrived.