Nolie
Drops The Sonically Stunning “Not Coming Home”
By Eli Goodwin
Song Review
〰️
Song Review 〰️
It was the first sunny day in months, the first true spring day in Ithaca when I heard “Not Coming Home,” the newest release by Nolie. And just like that, everything became greener. I found my spirits raised, the sun present, and a good mood practically unavoidable. To call this song infectious would almost be a gross understatement; from the beginning riff of the bass, the listener is immersed, at once pulled into a world chock full of sonically pleasing harmonies, a repetitive but all the more catchy and head bop-inducing beat, and a melody that’s easy to hum and sing along to.
The song centers around a boy verging on adulthood who’s grappling with a myriad of things, from his mother’s disapproval of his tendencies to his feelings for a girl that seem to be unrequited. All of this, however, is dripping with positivity, given the song’s catchy chorus (“oooh there’s mom on the phone, yeah, I’m not coming home//oooh she hates when I’m alone or when I get too stoned.“) and bridge. As a result, the song poses an impressive duality that’s hard to pull off: Musically, the song is euphoric, done entirely in a positive key and largely with the four-chord structure that’s become synonymous with bright, cheery pop music. Lyrically, on the other hand, the song dives much deeper, exposing the vulnerabilities and emotions of the artist.
The fusion of this juxtaposition makes the song all the more potent. “Not Coming Home” can be listened to on the type of day like the one in which I first heard the song, that sunny day that’s optimal for a drive with the music blaring and the windows rolled down. You can turn it on to perk you up, to put a pep in your step, even. But, as the song is dripping with substance, it will never exist exclusively as background music. “Not Coming Home” subjects itself to analysis, deconstruction, and, perhaps most easily, sheer appreciation.