Portland, ME’s dream pop outfit LITTLE OSO returns with “Metaphorical Ohio,” the second single off their upcoming album How Lucky To Be Somebody. Released on October 25, this track shifts from the sunny, emo-tinged vibes of their August single, “Other People’s Lives,” leaning instead into mellow indie shoegaze.
It’s a sound that blankets autumn evenings with warmth and nostalgia, pulling you into the dreamlike concept of a “Metaphorical Ohio”—a place where past and present converge in the haze of reverb-laden guitar lines.
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Lyrically, “Metaphorical Ohio” feels like a collection of shared memories and quiet reflections.
Vocalist Jeannette Berman’s voice echoes through, inviting you in with, “I love you the way you are. Meet me in Metaphorical Ohio and take me in.” There’s an ethereal longing in each line, bringing you to the quiet roadsides, backyard pools, and hidden pockets of the song’s imagined world.
Recorded at Prism Analog in Portland, ME, the track benefits from its raw, analog production, engineered by Miles Foy and mixed by Jonathan Benson. The visual accompaniment, directed by Jeannette Berman and shot by Dean Luis Chuqui, mirrors the single’s dreamy vibe, with a video that is an absurdly delightful romp, full of moments that only Americans who actually get baseball could fully appreciate.
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The full album, How Lucky To Be Somebody, is set to drop in January 2025 via Repeating Cloud and Safe Suburban Home, with pre-orders for vinyl available now on the band’s Bandcamp.
Alongside “Metaphorical Ohio,” LITTLE OSO shares a curated playlist of Portland bands that inspire them, spotlighting the city’s rich underground scene.
Check out the full playlist, featuring local gems like Dark Soft, Matriarch, Misery Whip, Angelikah Fuhray (channeling Erykah Badu vibes), and Windier, whose raw recordings create an intimate, home-recorded feel.
Snake Lips have catchy, in-your-face, tongue in cheek songs. It’s hooky and fast like the Ramones, but you’re having a good time laughing like Blink182. People who like together pangea, twin peaks, and best coast would dig Snake Lips.
Angelikah Fuhray gives me straight up Erykah Badu vibes and that’s crazy to imagine in Maine of all places! I grew up on Erykah Badu, so to see someone pull off that sound so well in place you’d least expected is great!
Never would I think to mix Pavement and Pile, but what fantastic combo! Amiright is as if both bands had a child. It’s messy, it’s dismal and dissonant!
I’m huge fan of hip hop and rap. It’s probably the first genre of music I was introduced to before indie rock or punk rock. I’m specifically obsessed with A Tribe Called Quest?, The Pharcyde, Digable Planets, and Gangstarr. Graphic Melee taps into all of that 90s hip hop sound. He makes me nostalgic for a past era through his beats, but he snaps me back to reality through his lyrics. They’re insightful and wise! There’s a great duality between his words and his influences.
If you like Mt. Eerie, then you’ll love Windier! Their sound is so raw and feels like you’re present during the recording. I think they recorded their latest album, “Doesn’t the Baby” in someone’s kitchen and it really feels like I was there watching the record unfold. When it comes to music, there’s sometimes an art to it where you want the listener to truly feel the words and music. It’s hard for me to describe without sounding stupid, but I really feel it in their records.
Wildflower has really pretty instrumentals that encapsulates Maine as a whole. They were also in Jeff Tweedy’s list of current favorite bands. So that’s awesome for them!
Honorable Mentions:
Bright Boy, Crystal Canyons, Sequela, Matriarch, Red Eft, Dark Soft, Deerlady, Sullen Eyes, Dead Gowns, Greasy Grass, Big Trash, Field Studies, City Planners, Misery Whip, Cadaverette, Gum Parker, Kev Coast, gaud, angusisdead, and paper lady.
