Noël Wells – “Star”
Noël Wells already had an impressive film and TV career going before deciding to launch into music recently. You may have seen her on SNL, where her first sketch pitted her against Régine Chassagne in a game of “New Cast Member Or Arcade Fire?” Or perhaps you’ve watched her in Master Of None playing Aziz Ansari’s season 1 love interest, a music publicist whose clients include Father John Misty. (Shout out to real-life Sub Pop publicists Frank and Bekah!) Or maybe you caught Mr. Roosevelt, the indie comedy Wells wrote, directed, and starred in.
At the moment, though, she’s focused on prepping her debut album for release this spring. Last month she unveiled its lead single “Sunrise,” and today she’s back with a second track. “Star” is a lovely lope that finds Well’s vocals backed by brushed drums, artfully unspooling guitar lines, weepy pedal steel, and a number of other tasteful flourishes. Here’s what she had to say about it:
On the surface, “Star” is a love song, but beyond a love song about two lovers, it also serves as a cheeky lullaby about innocence, fame, and fate. It is a poem about desiring freedom and a call for a romantic rebellion against the forces that try and separate us from ourselves, each other, our dreams, and our natural state of love.
Hear “Star” below, and stick around for “Sunrise” while you’re at it.
Wells’ debut album is expected out in spring 2019.