Alaina May – “Casual”
Photo by Logan S Morrow
Brooklyn-based indie artist Alaina May has just released “Casual,” her first release since 2023, and we must admit that it was well worth the wait.
This dream-lit force of a pop-rock song is brought to life by the swelling of feedback before giving way to an upbeat rhythm from the drum kit. From there, wide and spacious elements arrive, including reverberating guitar chords and resounding notes from a piano. By thirty seconds in, we’re already fans — all before the vocals have even arrived.
May has the kind of voice that makes you wonder why you had to wait three years between releases, but it’s so incredibly smooth that you forgive her immediately. And although the rhythm shifts to double-time across the refrain, May keeps her vocal performance right in the sweet spot between Hope Sandoval and Phoebe Bridgers.
About the track, May offers: “‘Casual’ lives in that space where you mistake limerence for real connection… After something ends, even the smallest moments of closeness feel heightened and intoxicating because they fill a vulnerable void. You can be completely self-aware—naming the pattern, recognizing the push and pull—and still not be able to stop yourself from getting pulled in. It’s that tension between wanting something light and realizing that, at my core, I’m just not wired for ‘casual.’”
Atmospheric layers of synth and additional vocals drift in as the song progresses, gently pulling you deeper into the washed-out soundscape. Between the haze of the arrangement and the relatability of the subject matter, “Casual” lands in that vulnerable space between emotional attachment and trying to convince yourself the relationship is low-stakes.