Track of the Day: Mikal Cronin - "Weight"

If there’s one thing immediately obvious about how much Mikal Cronin has changed in the past year, it’s the fact that “Weight” begins with a piano and not a guitar. On his debut solo album or his past collaboration with fellow San Francisco garage rocker Ty Segall, Cronin has been nothing short of the epitome of fuzzy haired, reverb drenched punk pop. MCII, Cronin’s forthcoming record on Merge, finds him embracing the challenges and obstacles that come with growing up in a twisted world. With strings and guitars backing him, Cronin howls, “...take me from myself” as he plays himself off, making for a tense but beautiful moment. Polished yet powerful, it bridges the gap between the louder, more audacious sound of his former self and the more introspective person he so suddenly finds himself turning into. Though vulnerable and overwhelmed, Cronin’s songwriting sounds nonetheless reinvigorated on “Weight,” heightening the anticipation for MCII all the more.