FAVORITE NEW TRACKS: GABRIEL BLACK - PINE TREES

When We Are: The Guard discovered Gabriel Black, all we could find was one song called "Sad Boy." He peaked our interested and provided a great choice for any time we were feeling a bit lonesome. The young up-and-comer introduced himself, veiled in mystery, and leaving us with the sullen vibes similar to iconic low-fi musicians like Daniel Johnson and Kurt Cobain. After listening to his debut ditty, all we wanted was more Black and now we have it.

GABRIEL BLACK - PINE TREES

The artist is currently streaming a new track called "Pine Trees." Yes, it's still just as moody, but it's also is quite a pivot from what we presumed we'd hear. Again, Black tells a story: "See I'm locked in a box in my head / And the pine trees are taller than they ever been." He candidly talks about depression and self-loathing—about the inner-workings of his clouded and pained head.

While we do love hearing more of the same, our favorite part of the song is when Gabriel goes a little bit off the character he created so kindly for us in "Sad Boy." His minimal strings climb into an echoing duet and high-pitched meows, while performing a punchy guitar riff before returning to a monotone. Silly us for making preconceived notions about a young talent. He is not Cobain or Johnson and he is full of surprises.