B-Side Guys

In his debut solo outing as Jason Cornett, Ruby Vision frontman Nick Muracciole crafts a disarmingly intimate portrait of disconnection through hazy, narcotic textures. “Sundews” — named for the deceptively beautiful carnivorous plants — serves as an apt metaphor for relationships that consume rather than nourish, drawing listeners into its sticky, shimmering web of sound.

The track’s production, handled entirely by Muracciole himself, creates a deliberately imperfect atmosphere where reverb-drenched guitars and subdued vocals float above a steady rhythmic foundation. This shoegaze approach works brilliantly with the song’s emotional landscape, where vulnerability and distance intertwine. The reference to being “fed to the sundews” forms the metaphorical core around which the narrative revolves — a striking image of slow consumption that resonates throughout.

What distinguishes “Sundews” from standard shoegaze fare is its fragmentary lyrical approach, where disconnected images create a mosaic of a relationship’s dissolution. The opening epistolary exchange immediately establishes both intimacy and rejection, while references to manic states and substance use (“when I’m too high”) reveal attempts to numb emotional wounds. The repeated question about seeing someone “up North” alongside the immediate negation creates a conversational push-pull that mirrors the song’s themes of attraction and repulsion.

Musically, Cornett employs chord progressions that deliberately avoid resolution, much like the “raised 11th” mentioned in the release notes. This harmonic suspension mirrors the emotional limbo described in the lyrics. The psychedelic elements intensify during the bridge section with its staccato imagery of “Growls through her tattoos / Guilty mouth, of Hi-Chews,” creating a dreamlike quality that grounds abstract emotions in tactile specificity.

“Sundews” reveals Muracciole’s gift for marrying sonic textures with emotional states. Rather than hiding behind walls of noise, he uses shoegaze elements purposefully, creating a space where vulnerability doesn’t diminish but rather amplifies the song’s haunting power.