Les Ailes, aka Rylie DeGarmo, released a beautifully haunting record back in February of 2021 entitled Tennessee. Produced by Mike McCarthy and low-key featuring the likes of Britt Daniel, Matt Chamberlain and Charles Spearin; the guest appearances never outshined the masterful delivery of melancholy pop.
Since then, Les Ailes has released two standalone singles, the latest of which can be heard (and seen) in “Beside Myself.” This song continues in the same vein as much of Tennessee, exuding a melancholy vibe through DeGarmo’s, frankly, beautiful vocal delivery. Lyrically, the track is, seemingly, about a guarded relationship and the difficulty of breaking through. The narrator is “beside myself” with the consistent hardships of solidifying a connection.
Music is, obviously, a subjective experience so it’s entirely possible what I’m hearing is a reflection of my own state of mind but I can’t help but hear a slight lilt of optimism to the delivery here. The lyrical content of the song does not seem to insinuate such a thing but you can almost hear a wry smile breaking through the delivery. Maybe the song itself is a release of that difficult experience? It’s impossible to say but one thing is for certain, Les Ailes has consistently delivered some gut wrenching and captivating performances. Here’s to looking forward to more.