Bike Lane - “Shoulder Season”

Photo by James Boudreau

For those of you trying to make heads or tails over a wounded heart that never quite heals, California-based duo Amaya Lim and Blake Knutson, aka Bike Lane, have arrived on the blog with their fresh cut, “Shoulder Season.”

This emotionally-charged tune begins with a graceful vocal performance from Lim, strewn across a backdrop of carefully plucked notes from an acoustic guitar. The lyrics flip through the pages of a former love, warmly reflecting on the good times, wondering if the other party does the same. On the hook, Lim’s emotive falsetto elevates to a sense of urgency as it solicits a response: “Do you ever drive past our old place and wonder how I am?”

Knutson offers some fabulous harmonies that arrive on the back half of the second verse, accompanied by the gentle pulse from a kick drum. There is also a dynamic lift in the song’s atmosphere at this point, provided by a swelling ambience that appears to include some synthy strings as well as background vocals. These elements remain through the second chorus, bringing a sonic satisfaction to the already permeating emotional connection.

And although “Shoulder Season” is simply fantastic up to this point, where it completely wins is in the final third, as it dynamically shifts into an ear-worm that we have not been able to stop singing since Bike Lane first sent over the tune. This section boasts the track’s most robust arrangement and the lyrics are a culmination of all the forlorn energy that has been snowballing its way through the song.

From what we can gather, “Shoulder Season” is Bike Lane’s first release since their 2022 album, Wake Up in the Weeds, so we can only hope that this means more music is on the way. Until then, wrap your arms around this track and take comfort in the idea that many of us have been there, searching for the residual warmth from an old flame.

-HD