LISTEN: Tired Cossack’s “She Was” Is Hypnotic Indie Rock Tinted With Loss

Post-punk, shoegaze-inspired indie rock, and the odd alt-country twang combine in Tired Cossack. Formed in 2020 in Winnipeg, Canada, he breaks musical conventions in a distinct yet natural way. His songs flow like meandering paths devoid of care. Themes of joy and melancholy intermingle in his collection of sounds, featuring intense, cold, industrial rhythms and clever songwriting with nods to Ukrainian folklore. His versatility as an artist invites listeners to experience a kaleidoscope of genres and sensibilities as they dive into his discography. The artist’s new LP, ZIMA, is available now. 

“She Was,” an early favorite from Tired Cossack’s latest LP, feels more akin to a spell than a song. The shoegaze-tinted vocals whirl around jangly guitars and off-kilter percussion, each element containing its own interpretation of experimentation, combining their otherworldly findings to produce psychedelic textures. Once those palpable textures reach your ears, you are intoxicated by it all. The way the artist’s vocals skate across the potent production is nothing short of captivating, but “She Was” is not a song to showcase stylistic singularity. Throughout the performance, the artist details heartbreaking truths about the loss of a friend and the flood of memories that rush through the mind when that news crashes into your world. “She Was” turns into a more cathartic listen every time you press play, as the pain ingrained in the lyrics becomes clearer, almost as if those enticing textures begin to evaporate when the rawness of those words cuts through.