There’s a certain finesse one has to have when it comes to being a contemporary indie artist. You can’t jock other artists’ styles, you can’t “sell out,” and most importantly you can’t not tour. There’s a rulebook that magically appears on your desk as soon as you hit the stop button on your iPhone’s voice memo app full of these rules and more, but being an indie artist in 2022 isn’t without its limitations. To be fair, being a music artist in 2022 in general has become simultaneously harder to pull off logistically, while easier to pull off conceptually.
It’s a fickle thing, the music industry. Newcomer Chris McCooey has wisely spent his early years as an indie rock artist mostly staying in his lane, delivering the pandemic anthem “Damn Normal” back in 2020, as well as two EPs since, and now has a full-length record due out next month. Returning after last year’s Better Days EP with a new lead single off of the upcoming Missing Pieces album, Chris McCooey is back with “Just Like You,” the exact type of song to renew your faith in modern rock ’n’ roll.
Drawing inspiration from ‘50s and ‘60s recording artists with the song’s overall calm demeanor and down-tempo approach beckons listeners into an easygoing, soft new side of McCooey that tackles the oft-neglected emotionally vulnerable side of rock music. Beneath the gentle guitar are fantastic viola and cello opening the space up and giving the song some real warmth; there’s a noticeable blend of throwback rock music and soul at play, with McCooey’s San Francisco-based roots rising to the surface at times throughout.
“Did you do it all for love? Did you do it all for me? Did you think if you let go, I’d have a better chance to breathe?” The opening lines paint the single’s lyrics in a noticeably open-hearted light, and the single proceeds to tackle heartbreak and loss in a way that very few mainstream acts ever attempt. It’s admirable and effective, and the blend of past and present sounds give “Just Like You” a really neat atmosphere to unpack.
As far as lead singles go, “Just Like You” is a fantastic first track for an album — it dips listeners’ toes into the water just enough, but more importantly, it paints a picture and leaves the audience wanting more. McCooey wisely delivers on the promise of the song’s lyrics of growth and change, citing curiosity as the main driving force behind the questions he’s asking. “Want you to know I’ve made my peace. I forgave a long time ago. This letter don’t reflect my pain, it’s just a child’s need to know.” The way that McCooey calls himself out with this line is a bold way to wrap the single up, and owning up to his own forgiveness gives the song an entirely new approach on repeat listens. It’s an impressive single to open an album rollout with, and an impressive statement for fans discovering Chris McCooey for the first time. It’s a breath of fresh air in the grand scheme of things, and “Just Like You” cements McCooey’s place as a talent on the rise.
Claire Uebelacker