Meernaa are an Oakland-based band fronted by starry-eyed vocalist Carly Bond. They’ve been releasing EPs and singles since 2015, but the four-piece are gearing up to release their first full-length album in June called Heart Hunger. Today they have released a chromatic video for the lead single from that album, called “Better Part.”

“Better Part” has a wispy R&B vibe reminiscent of Blood Orange. There’s a feeling of vastness as the song opens into a dreamy soundscape with some scratch drums and bass underscoring wavy synths and breathy yet piercing vocals. A little over halfway though, an electric solo takes everything sky-high, led in by Peter Gabriel-like hollow drums. The video, directed by Yeshe Parks, is equally dreamy, with loosely defined figures and moons dancing through colorful geometric gradients and striped waves.

Bond explains:

“Better Part” started off as an extended synth intro and somehow morphed into an extreme ’80s themed mega love song. It’s the first real love song I’ve ever written and truly meant with my whole heart. I wrote it a few months prior to getting married to my now forever dude and fellow bandmate (Rob Shelton). It’s about fully realized love, the freedom that comes with absence of doubt, the acceptance and support of the changing human beings you are/will become and the open invitation to always come back to the love you share when, sometimes, you forget about it.

Check out the trippy video for “Better Part” below, where you can also find Meernaa’s upcoming tour dates with John Vanderslice.

TRACKLIST:
01 “Back Roads”
02 “Wells”
03 “Thinking Of You”
04 “Ready To Break”
05 “Black Diamond Mine”
06 “Ridges”
07 “Better Part”
08 “Miss Marple’s Mystery Moon”
09 “Bluffs”

TOUR DATES:
4/17 – Phoenix, AZ @ Valley Bar
4/18 – Tucson, AZ @ 191 Toole
4/19 – Las Vegas, NV @ Bunkhouse Saloon
4/20 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court
4/22 – Seattle, WA @ Tractor Tavern
4/23 – Portland, OR @ Mississippi Studios
4/26 – Chico, CA @ The Big Room at Sierra Nevada
4/27 – Sacramento, CA @ Harlow’s
4/28 – San Francisco, CA @ Rickshaw Stop

Heart Hunger is out 6/14 on Native Cat Recordings. Pre-order the album here.

CREDIT: NIka Alia States