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Oct 19, 2022 By Caleb Campbell

Louisville-based indie pop songwriter Molly O’Malley has been releasing a string of EPs over the past few years, establishing their sound via a winning combination of sugary dream pop, ‘90s guitars, and confessional songwriting. As they describes it, they make “daydream punk for your long drive home.” Fans heard from her last year with her EP, goodwill toy, and this year they’ve been teasing their follow-up with their latest single, “Golden Hour.”

Today, O’Malley is back with an early listen to their latest three-track EP, Nobody Parties (Like Molly), along with an accompanying video for the record’s opener, “Diern,” premiering with Under the Radar.

“Diern” opens the EP with a stylistic turn for O’Malley, diving further into the ‘90s alternative side of her songwriting, complete with walls of hazy shoegaze guitars and lyrics full of gnarled cathartic confessions. The track plays like a final release of pent-up anger, as O’Malley calls out those who prey on others’ vulnerability, yet they also imbue the track with an irresistible melodic core.

In contrast, the other unreleased track, “Hopscotch,” is a pure dream pop delight, recalling hints of Cocteau Twins and modern indie classics like Alvvays. O’Malley’s vocals enlace with dreamy washes of guitar, synths, and sing-along choruses, but much like their previous single “Golden Hour,” the lyrics reveal a deeply emotive undercurrent. Even amidst the blend of sun-lit melodies, there’s a melancholic undertone that reveals itself as O’Malley wrestles with the pain inherent in loving someone一“I forgot what it felt like / To be afraid / To lose someone I can’t replace.”

O’Malley says of the EP, “‘Nobody Parties (Like Molly)’ is a collection of songs that make me feel like anything and everything but a party. However, it felt pretty cathartic to be able to write about these things. ‘Diern’ is the first ‘diss’ track I’ve ever released, and let me say it felt very good to let all that frustration and hurt out on a song. I think the video does a pretty good job of portraying the erratic emotions I was feeling while writing ‘Diern.’”

Check out the EP and music video below. Nobody Parties (LIke Molly) is out everywhere on October 20th.