63. Single Review of The Forest by Sweetnest

Originally Published November 12th, 2024

About the Artist

There is a community of people who speak a language all their own. It’s a secret language the rest of the world struggle to understand and relate to but to this particular community, that language is as important as any other. It’s the language of The Office fandom. Some might already be rolling their eyes and that’s ok (it’s not ok) as long as the sanctity of the language is respected. Yes, the language is exclusively tied to referencing direct quotes from the first seven seasons (and the series finale) but it is still special nonetheless. Without it, nobody would know who started the fire. Nobody would know what, in fact, she said. Nobody would know what to not do if an idiot would do that particular thing. So, when I found out this next artist was from Scranton, Pennsylvania, I had just one question for them. And by question, I mean fact: Bears, Beets, Battlestar Galactica.

To my utter glee, Sweetnest responded in the appropriate native tongue; properly identifying themselves as a proud member of this community I cherish so deeply. But I digress…

All jokes were set aside when I heard how seriously wonderful Sweetnest’s music is. Formed in 2018, Sweetnest are Amanda Rogan and Matt Malone. After debuting their first album, Until Now, in 2018, they released two singles in 2019 and 2020 before taking a three year break with releasing no music. 

In 2023, Sweetnest came back onto the scene with the release of their single, Heal. Now, with the release of The Forest, they are gearing up to release their second full length album.

About the Song

The Forest is a folk fusion song that released on October 22nd, 2024. With a runtime of just under 4 minutes, it features Rogan on vocals and Malone on guitars, with synths, percussions, and bass programmed and produced within the track as well.

About the Music

The Forest is heavily influenced by folk/roots music but with a contemporary element fused into the entire composition. The method in which Sweetnest have married these two styles of music is so pleasant sounding. It has a style that can be compared to artists like Bon Iver, Maggie Rogers, and Grizzley Bear. I particularly enjoy the the robotic vocoder backing Roger’s’ vocal performance. This particular fused element shows a keen ability to take to polarizing styles of music and compose the song in a way that bridges the gap. They’re not the first to do it, but there aren’t many who have tried and it’s not easily achieved. Sweetnest have successfully achieved a wonderful marriage between the organic and electronic elements of popular music with this effort.

The production value of the song is spot on. The levels of each track are perfectly appropriate. The effects are plugged in at appropriate levels. The reverb is subtle and yet leaves the song full and open with sound. The percussion is simple and dynamic; it’s not excessive at any place in the song.

Malone’s guitar parts prove to be elemental compliments to the composition. More specifically, they keep the balance between the digits and organic elements of the song as if they were a beacon to remind the listener of the roots and folk elements of the song. The guitars ensure that influence isn’t lost to the listener.

Gibson’s vocal performance is the pure, fluid, and precise. There’s not a single melody or harmony that is even remotely out of place. The vibrato implemented is so sweetly subtle, it’s performed like a ripple in a stream. It provides support to the vibe of the song by upholding the roots and folk body of the music and allows for experimentation on the digital side of the music to create around her.

About the Lyrics

Lyrically, Sweetnest offer an analogy-based story with natural elements; sometimes feeling gothic and other times feeling like fantasy. 

“You cry like the cold. You somehow know just how to work it. Make it feel worth it, that I get so nervous tears roll off my lips.”

This feels like it could be one of two things: heartbreak or new and unexpectedly overwhelming romance. If it’s heartbreak, the narrator is the victim of a very manipulative situation where the subject has made a committed practice to controlling the feelings of the narrator.

However, from another perspective, if this is a new relationship, it could also mean that the connection the narrator feels with the subject is so intense that the narrator is feeling overwhelmed and intimidated by the possibility of falling hard and fast.

“Can hardly, can hardly focus. Hear heartbeats. Hear footsteps in the forest. And in the forest, I”

The chorus has me leaning towards romance because there is an air of anticipation about it, but honestly, it could still go either way.

The second verse is also just ambiguous enough to have me guessing. With lines like “First to the slaughter,” and “Hunting the Hunter,” it seems ironically leans back towards the heartbreaking romance. 

I don’t know if I’ve been inconclusive on an analysis of the lyrical composition of an artist before! In more than 50 reviews, I have always had a landing spot. I guess if I had to make a choice, I would say this is the new romance. If I’m wrong, I humbly accept defeat. 

I love how it could go either way. As I frequently stress, leaving a story open to interpretation, leaves a door for more listeners to relate to the music. This is a wonderful example of how two people going through two different things could relate to this music. The song is very well written, the lyrics match the mood of the song, and it all encompasses the overall theme.

Final Thoughts

Here is what I love about Sweetnest: they’re sound isn’t so original that they will be rolling dice to know whether or not there is an audience for their style of music. Other artists have been doing this for years, in fact. As previously mentioned, there is influence from a couple of different places with Bon Iver; whether it be Woods, 10 dEAThbREasT, or if it’s Maggie Rogers’ sensational hit, Alaska. 

HOWEVER….

Not everybody is doing it. For whatever reason, this style of music has enjoyed a very slow and constant progress. To the degree that people are still just now discovering artists like these, even if they’ve been on the scene for years. Year by year, Americana/Roots/and post-modern folk music attracts the attention of more and more ears. From listeners who are being introduced to listeners who are being reminded. This patiently growing genre has provided access for capable artists to introduce their music into an established genre and it still sound so new to so many. 

Sweetnest is one of those artists. They fit perfectly and they have a sound that can sound new to so many yet, relatable to an already exposed artist. The most important factor to have is the one they possess. They’re music is appealing! Overwhelmingly so. Specifically, The Forest, but all of their music has this same appeal. Their music is exciting, familiar, and fresh!

Do yourself a favor. Make sure you visit Sweetnest on Spotify and give them a follow. You can also follow them on Instagram and threads.

Don’t be a Toby! Go stream The Forest right now!