The title track of Locate S, 1’s upcoming full length album Personalia is an upbeat exploration of the wave of darkness that has seemingly filtered through the culture and the consciousness of so many of us in the past several years. With the strong bass line, bright synths and melodious vocals Christina Schneider, singer and main songwriter behind the project, gives us some poetic nuggets of personal despair and self-deprecation like “I can’t see myself in anything” and “Curse another crowd that doesn’t get it. Maybe something’s wrong with me. Maybe I’m just dumb.” Anyone with sensitivity has probably felt that first line and anyone in a “local” band in a city where you’re not playing a trendy style of music, which is to say most artists, has felt the second set of lyrics. You get to the point where you wonder what’s the point. And Schneider nearly did quit, perhaps more than music, as hinted at in the lines “Almost killed myself so I went home / I just cannot take these local shows.” Maybe not to be taken literally but the picture Schneider paints of the mood of late is one that honors the dark places your mind goes when it all seems like you’re hitting your head against the wall for years and for what? Whether that’s with music or just trying to get by in life. But somewhere in the song Schneider reconnects with the small things that make it seem worth it: “Plug in tonight when I get to my room / pretend I’m someone that I could believe in” and “I’ve shorted out but if I play long enough I’ll become the person that I wanna be again.” In singing that Schneider isn’t just saying it’s all going to work out or that hope and “manifesting” is going to make it happen but rather that some self-belief will help make it all seem worthwhile to you even if it isn’t celebrated by masses of people. The song’s fusion of gritty rock with ethereal soundscapes and Schneider’s melodious voice is a refreshingly effective take on a subject that is often avoided in a world of pop where people mention mental health issues but don’t dive deep enough into the core of those anxieties without getting lost there. Personalia, named after a poem by Mary Ruefle, is out on April 3 on Captured Tracks. But for now watch the video for the song on YouTube and follow Locate S, 1 (on tour with of Montreal in Spring 2020) on Facebook, linked below.
Sophomore album Personalia out April 3 on Captured Tracks
Queen City Sounds and Art 
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