by Phil Scarisbrick

Self identity is a tricky balancing act between how we perceive others see us and reality. Many people wear an invisible costume to project an image to the world, so as to try and appear more than we are; more confident, more resilient, more at peace, but it is often a veneer. This sleight of hand to divert attention from our vulnerabilities is at the heart of the superb new single, Collide, from Tiiva.

‘The disguises we wear fall onto the pavement / such a feat of desire to hold on this tight,’ she sings over swelling synths – letting down her guard to allow us access to her neuroses. There is visceral imagery throughout, as the Charli XCX-evoking soundtrack builds around this world where ‘One single ice cube sits patiently waiting,’ and there’s ‘a husk of fragility tasting the pain’. The hook of ‘It’s all we’ve got’ circles, building in intensity, before the backing breaks away and a myriad of voices exclaim it at the track’s climax. An oral demonstration that our narrator isn’t alone in experiencing these feelings.

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