REVIEW: Blond in Car Makes the Unattainable Irresistible on ‘How To Be A Mystery’
REVIEW
REVIEW
☆ BY SHEVON GREENE ☆
BLOND IN CAR ALWAYS HAS A KNACK—for making the people she writes about in her songs feel like the main character. On “How To Be a Mystery,” featuring singer-songwriter Jack Newsome, she becomes entranced by a woman who seems to exist beyond everyone else’s reach. Gliding into parties, this mystery woman commands every room she enters and keeps the upper hand with zero effort. Every carefully described detail in the lyrics adds another layer to her allure, leaving one question lingering throughout the shimmering dream-pop track: Do you want to kiss her, or do you want to be her?
Inspired by watching model and actress Cara Delevingne effortlessly command a Hollywood party, “How To Be a Mystery” explores the overlap between attraction, admiration and envy. Robin Schorr, the woman behind Blond in Car, builds an entire mythology around the woman within the lyrics using beautifully descriptive details: Manhattans made with glacier ice, mirrored skyscraper windows and knowledge of 40 kinds of rice from Hokkaido. Her world is described as glamorous, strange and almost comically untouchable, which fits perfectly within Blond in Car’s uniquely retro and whimsical songwriting style.
That specific quality is what drew me to Blond in Car through her 2023 project ALTAVAN. Her music always blends dreamy vintage textures with characters and imagery that are playful and somewhat silly, but still have some emotional weight behind them. “How To Be a Mystery” continues that trend, combining obsession and impossible attraction in beautiful production and Schorr’s soothing delivery.
The sharpest moment of the song arrives in the warning: “You’re crazy if you wanna be the one she needs.” Schorr knows that the mystery is the source of the attraction, even if loving someone so unreachable means trying to connect dots that may never form the full picture.
Newsome’s appearance on the track feels so natural. After first connecting with Schorr through his online cover of “My High Gummygirl,” the two bring such complementary energies to the track, with his bright pop vocals blending effortlessly alongside her softer voice.
Following “Bad Dad,” “How To Be a Mystery” is just another peek behind the curtains into her future plans. With this perfect collaboration, the track leaves plenty to look forward to in Blond in Car’s next musical project.
