deary - Alfie [Video]

There’s something instantly transportive about the video for “Alfie.” The protagonist slips a cassette into her Walkman, places those wonderfully flimsy headphones over her ears, and glides off on roller skates. It’s pure nostalgia. And yes, “flimsy” only by today’s standards — back then, it felt like freedom.

deary drench “Alfie” in reverb and hazy, dreamlike textures that slowly swell until the song opens up in a glorious, almost overwhelming rush. At seven and a half minutes, it never drags; instead, it pulls you deeper and deeper into its shoegaze current. You can hear the love for Cocteau Twins, Slowdive, and My Bloody Valentine, but deary shape those influences into something fluid and beautifully their own.

With “Alfie,” the London three-piece — Rebecca “Dottie” Cockram (guitar, vocals), Ben Easton (guitar), and Harry Catchpole (drums) — set the tone for their debut album Birding, out April 3 via Bella Union.

Ben Easton says about the album:

“I was writing the record in one of the worst periods of my life. I was not in a good space at all. Our last EP, Aurelia, was about transition, and how it's cool to change. And Birding is, ‘Oh no, I‘ve made some really disruptive life decisions.’ The album came from an isolated, almost hopeless space, and you can hear that in parts of the record. But there are also moments that are very self-loving and meditative, and a bit more uplifting."

“Alfie” captures that tension — wistful and weightless on the surface, yet emotionally raw underneath. Let it spin, and maybe — just maybe — dust off that old Walkman feeling again.

Listen to “Alfie,” our Song Pick of the Day at glamglare, and watch the cinematic video.

Connect with deary and add "Alfie" to your playlist as we add it to our #glamglarepick playlist on Spotify and YouTube. Listen to our Song Pick of the Day on Spotify or Apple Music.