Can a song smell like sunscreen and taste like your first lemonade stand? Because “Karolina” just did that to me.
MAUGER—Belgian outfit stitched together from former Absynthe Minded musicians—have that thing we all pretend not to miss: the ability to jam without needing 27 synth layers or a thinkpiece. There’s a pulse in their sound that feels live, lived-in, and frankly a little sunburned in the best way. “Karolina“, their latest single, is all freckles, flashbacks, and that mild ache of early infatuation—specifically, a babysitter who sang Madonna and The Bangles while accidentally imprinting a lifetime’s worth of hormonal nostalgia.
From the first guitar strum, you’re transported—somewhere between a hazy backyard and the inside of a teenage daydream. There’s a steady skip in the rhythm, playful but relaxed, like someone half-dancing in the kitchen. The vocals are friendly, casual, almost like a memory muttered to yourself. There’s a kind of Daniel Norgren meets Phosphorescent vibe going on, with a dash of Fleetwood Mac’s golden glow, but stripped of the drama and delivered with a shrug and a smile. The production stays just loose enough to let the song breathe, like an open window in early June.
The lyrics are simple, maybe even naive, but that’s the whole point. “She sang Madonna, she sang The Bangles, I fell in love with the babysitter”, might be the most universal line this side of summer. It’s a poem, but one scribbled on the back of a school notebook rather than typed into a Notes app. And when the chorus lifts, you can practically see the bike rides, the cassette tapes, and that specific sunshine that only exists in hindsight.
About MAUGER:
This isn’t MAUGER’s first rodeo. Their 2022 album “Shiny” already hinted at their love for capturing a moment before it gets edited to death. With a new album—”Look, A Howlin’ Preachin’ Sun“—just out, they’re doubling down on their spontaneous, soulful way of songwriting. If you’re into Kurt Vile’s laid-back honesty or Bon Iver’s early unfiltered magic, you’ll want to keep both ears open.
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