Premiere: Hotspit Illuminate & Reflect On “Cave Dweller”
Reflection can often be this cavernous inward journey. Each thought and realization push you further away from the main trail. Before you realize it, you’re deep inside with no sense of exit or entrance, lost to confront all the thoughts that led you there. It’s in this space we find Hotspit on their new single “Cave Dweller,” a moving piece of garage rock exploration shaded by country-western twang. Poignant and gripping, it’s a grand step forward for the band and another fantastic entry into their growing catalog. Available to stream and purchase Thursday, September 22nd, The Auricular is honored to offer an exclusive stream of the song a day early, available below.
Forlorn guitar strums open up “Cave Dweller” before a crash of instruments descends, pointing to the epiphany that has hit deep in their musical grotto. From there, the lyrics begin to pour out of lead singer Avery Fogarty’s wistful voice. “She is the girl that I wanna play with / I’m like the boy who is acting too tough” they wistfully sing, revealing the song’s inner struggle with desire versus action and vulnerability versus preservation. More comes out that points to a guarded approach to relationships before Fogarty stumbles upon the core dilemma. “I don’t see how / You love me like that / No not like that” they lament as the music murmurs in a quiet reflection. It’s a reminder of how imposter syndrome is not just for professional life, as it can twist and distort our own personal relationships in damaging ways.
Profoundly, the song doesn’t get stuck in this quandary of self-doubt and distrust. At the end of the song, Fogarty faces the only two choices they have left: the inner critic or the relationship, or better yet, partnership or loneliness. As the song begins searching for the exit though, the answer becomes clear with the inner critic being silenced for the moment. As Avery lulls “it’s you, it’s you over and over, real peace has been found at last, even if the path to get there was mentally perilous at first.
Musically, “Cave Dweller” is every bit as stunning. Each lyrical phrase from Fogarty is matched by an aching guitar hook, one that will become instantly stuck in your head after the first listen. Tinny in sound and golden with its delivery, the guitar melody brings light to an otherwise shadowy song, flaring up at the end of each lyrical phrase to highlight the path forward. Also detailing that path forward is a beautiful use of strings in the closing section of the song. As Fogarty begins to weigh their choice, you can feel the bow move emphatically across strings, pushing the singer out of the cave and into the light, which is then punctuated by a final slide of that grand guitar line.
Hotspit has always impressed and astounded their listeners. CC was a weighty four-song EP last year and their earlier 2022 single, “Wane Mouth,” was a gentle sway of guitar rock. But “Cave Dweller” clearly pushes the band forward with a sound that matches lyrical exploration with ingenious instrumentation. The end result is a moving piece of music that is as therapeutic as it is inspiring, whether it’s your first listen or tenth.
“Cave Dweller” will be available through all streaming platforms on Thursday, September 22nd. (Click here to pre-order and pre-save it.) You can listen the stunning track above and while you enjoy it, make sure to follow Hotspit on Instagram (link) and Facebook (link) so you can stay up-to-date on their future shows and releases.
