By Preston Radtke In recent decades, Brooklyn has been a notable musical-chairs setting for indie music. This time, it has found dream/garage outfit Cende paired with the musically gregarious Greta Kline for their latest single, “What I Want.” For Cende and Kline, the track is a slight, yet outlier-ish escape for both parties. “What I Want” is a musical middle ground for both Kline and Cende. Kline coming off of her critically acclaimed 2016 release Next Thing with Frankie Cosmos, has fully implanted herself in the lo-fi, amateuristic section of indie rock. However, Cende had begun to make a name for their dream/garage rock fusion as evidenced on their self-titled EP. “What I Want” however is a more guitar-driven experience new for Kline, but still melodic and lyrical in a very Next Thing sort of way. Cende steers clear of yelled lyrics and cacophonous guitars/drums reminiscent of their first EP. Cende lead singer Cameron Wisch abandons his volatile vocality for a more measured and linear aesthetic, soaring through puffy clouds at some points and sloshing through dingy dark alleyways at others. Kline’s vocals are more congruent with previous work, save the fact that her voice sounds a tad bit more weathered and rough on this track. Next Thing’s gentle delivery and lo-fi thematics allowed Kline to settle her voice in a more comfortable and personable level, whereas “What I Want” features more rhythm and prominent guitar chords that force Kline to sing louder and more pronounced. A new phenomenon for both, “What I Want” features a very present and effective string section. On the second verse when Kline comes in, a backing violin section guides the song through the peaks and valleys to come. Both Cende and Kline with Frankie Cosmos had never featured anything but guitars, keyboards, and drums in their instrumental sections. The violins added texture and emotion to “What I Want”, which is a breakup song at its core, focusing heavily on internal, unspoken desires of both of the supposed partners. Other Members of the “What I Want” Family: Teen Suicide: “Bad News” Sorority Noise: “No Halo” Turnover: “Sasha” All Images From: Paste Magazine
