CHLSY – “No (Hard) Feelings” is a dazzling piece of indie rock

CHLSY is a rising Nashville-based rock band, and previous winner of the John Lennon Songwriting Award. “No (Hard) Feelings” is the band’s debut single. They have has honed a lovely, enveloping sound. Welcoming and melodic yet capable of conveying deep emotional subtlety, the jangling guitars and steady drumbeat underscores vocalist and guitarist Chelsea Gilliland’s airy, yet earthy voice, which grows from a whisper to a soar.

“No (Hard) Feelings” is a dazzling piece of indie rock, it engulfs you with guitar-driven sonics, and focuses on the wispy haze of Chelsea’s vocals. Like a certified storyteller, she has an ability to make even the simple lyrics seem powerful and takes them to a new place, deep into your mindset. The thing about CHLSY is that their core sound is so pleasing, lush, and so mysteriously intriguing. And it is every bit as spellbinding as that situation suggests.

CHLSY approaches the melody in “No (Hard) Feelings” with hypnotic, spinning-in-place guitars and radiant vocals. The verses seem to bend and twist rather than unfold. Chelsea Gilliland’s voice hovers over the instrumentation and lingers over the notes, which builds a musical world around her that steadily enthralls, and reels the listener in, towards the woes of a failed relationship.