There’s a special kind of heart-pounding thrill that comes with dating in your 20s. You can get a little reckless, stay out way too late, and perhaps make a few mistakes. Originally from Atlanta, singer-songwriter Caroline Culver captures such abandon with her magical new single “I Went Out with a Man,” only the second entry in her catalog, but one that shows immense promise
“I went out with a man over the weekend/He was nice and handsome, fun to be with/I stayed out really late and took a car home alone,” she sings with frank detail. Her storytelling washes over you, and her unfussy approach is embellished with just enough poeticism to intoxicate the senses. “He called right after I left, and said I wanna see you again,” she continues.
Indie guitars crash together and puff up like thick purple fog. Her wilting vocals accentuate the song’s innate moodiness, evoking a rose-tinted, Lana Del Rey aura, perfectly coated in a Phoebe Bridgers temperament. “I Went Out with a Man” honors roots in indie-rock and classic pop, while defining Culver’s own irresistible style.
“I go back, reliving/Me stepping on your feet/Drunk, touching the ceiling,” she sings, getting lost in the thought of it again. “And your hands all over me/I’m feeling butterflies/I can’t say that I’m surprised.”
It’s all just a memory now, but her words paint in raw, vibrant brushstrokes. Drawing from a real-life date, Culver makes sure the listener feels every single moment, as if they had experienced it, as well. When the Nashville transplant was 20, she “went out with someone in their late 20s. After only going out with people my age, this was just different,” she tells Audiofemme. “I had expectations that this date and this guy would be really mature and the date would feel very different than being with someone my age. But I guess, to be honest, I was disappointed with how much going out with this man was just like going out with any other boy.”
Still, there’s no sorrow woven into the song. Though the narrative is unextraordinary, that somehow striking connection worms its way into the song’s backbone like a shot of adrenaline. There’s an electrifying energy pulsing in the production, and Culver’s vocal works overtime to elicit cheek-flushed romance that grips you and never lets go. “Ultimately, this song is an anthem for single girls dating around in their twenties and all the excitement it brings,” she adds.
“I Went Out with a Man,” produced by Jason Cummings (The Next Great American Novelist, Annie DiRusso), follows the release of her debut single “Honest” from earlier this year. Together, the songs showcase an artist blooming right before our eyes. It’s certainly too early to really tell, but our crystal ball says Caroline Culver is destined to become a rockstar.
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