Irish singer-songwriter Miranda Faul enters a darker new chapter with ‘Favourite Friend’, the first taste of her forthcoming sophomore EP The Bar Is In Hell. Moving away from the indie-folk leanings of her earlier material and further into dark pop territory, the track explores the complicated space between casual intimacy and genuine attachment – specifically, convincing yourself you’re perfectly happy with the former when your feelings are telling you otherwise.
Miranda’s ethereal, mesmerising vocal floats above it all, while increasingly prominent layers of backing vocals gather towards the track’s conclusion. There’s an underlying tension running through the arrangement and just enough sensuality to complement its situationship subject without overwhelming the longing and frustration beneath. The accompanying visualiser keeps things suitably intimate, showing Miranda lying alone in bed in the dark as she lip syncs the lyrics. It’s simple but incredibly fitting, capturing that late-night headspace where there is nothing to distract you from everything you’re trying not to feel.
Miranda explains that the song followed “a few back to back casual dating situations”, admitting that she would convince herself she was happy keeping things casual so the other person would continue coming back: “Usually, I was lying to myself and them.” That contradiction sits comfortably within the darker sonic world of ‘Favourite Friend’, making this first glimpse of The Bar Is In Hell an intriguing indication of where Miranda is heading next.
