Special Friend - Ennemi Commun

Comprised of just guitar, drums, and vocal harmonies, American/French duo Special Friend have an economic approach to indie rock that still manages to make a big noise. The duo of drummer/vocalist Erica Ashleson and guitarist/vocalist Guillaume Siracusa first made a rushed and scrappy self-titled EP in 2019 before stretching out on their still compact but more fully realized first full-length album Ennemi Commun. Special Friend's sometimes delicate, sometimes excitable songs take notes from some fairly commonplace indie influences. The unhurried pacing, simple sing-song melody, and kick into friendly distortion on the chorus of opening track "Motel" are all straight from the Yo La Tengo playbook. The hushed intimacy of "Movement of the Planets" recalls the pristine sadness of bands like Bedhead, cutting deep to an emotional core without ever rising much above a whispe