Cover art by Katie Kuffel

It’s not the most fun time to be on this planet, and I don’t need to remind you about all of the shit going down right now. (That said, please wear a mask, vote, and support important causes like legal defense funds and Black Lives Matter.) But what if we could make our own little planet, free from all of our earthly troubles and despair? Bug Hunter’s latest single, “Pebbles,” likes to imagine just that.

“Pebbles” is the first single off Hunter’s upcoming third album, Bigger Than Myself, set to be released August 20. A sweet acoustic pop song, “Pebbles” is a whimsical romp through poetic, astral lyrics — a cozy journey through the stars, seeking to get away from all the problems we’ve got down here on Earth.

Like one long poem set to music, the track is a steady stream of playful, unrepeating lyrics that meander through celestial metaphors as Hunter seeks a peaceful new planet, singing, “Hope to grow a planet large / That floats around in our backyard … and on it grow the world we want.” Hunter even references the song’s own whimsy as he sings about using it to defeat aliens: “A big galactic pillow fight / And just before they win we’re told / They’re allergic to the whimsical / So I’ll blast this song and don’t you know / The sweetness makes their heads explode.” In this peaceful new world, even conflict itself is turned into silly and lighthearted fun, acted out as a pillow fight and resolved with popcorn and a movie.

With Hunter’s voice, an acoustic guitar, background drums, and a light piano melody at the forefront, the production of “Pebbles” keeps the focus on the fun, wishful lyrics — the part of the track that lends that cozy atmosphere. But the acoustic guitar also gently carries the song along from “a home I thought I’d never leave” to a world “bigger than myself.” So if you’re looking to take a relaxing journey away from this planet, take a listen below and let “Pebbles” softly whisk you away and up into the stars.

8.6

Lyrics

9.5/10

Production

8.5/10

Instrumentation

8.0/10

Listenability

8.5/10