The genesis of Cariahbel Azemar’s Meet the Bug project was spurred upon by the recognition of a familiar face opening for one of her greatest musical inspirations in Cavetown. This is noteworthy in that Azemar, as we all do, needed a reference point. Even Cavetown, whose humble approachability and relatable quirkiness are defining qualities, can still seem larger-than-life when seen through the lens of a fan. A simple face can then be a clear point of intersection: a light shining on a hidden path that connects one world to another. Understanding this is an essential step, but acceptance is a slightly longer journey.
Amidst the myriad of Cavetown, mxmtoon, and Rebecca Sugar covers on Azemar’s YouTube channel, you will slowly see more and more originals find their way into the mix in greater density, beginning with the upload of “Honeysuckle Bud” in February of 2020. The gently plucked ukulele tune would later find its way onto Worms on Keys, her debut EP released on New Year’s Day last year. There are delightful melodies and harmonies on Worms on Keys, but if there is a critique to be made, it would be that it sometimes sounds more like the work of a talented fan working through their artistic identity, rather than someone who has confidently discovered it. However, such criticism is considerably less applicable to its follow-up Beet the Mug, a personal set of seven songs that refine the attributes that made her first release endearing while expounding further upon and accepting what it means to be Cariahbel Azemar.
“Cold in the Summer” makes an immediate impression with its rich, soulful vocals underlaid by glowing keys, only to come to an abrupt halt in mere seconds. An empty pocket is left to linger for a moment before the song re-enters. The technique is utilized a handful more times, with each start and stop maintaining its jarring yet compelling impact. Between tasteful phrasing runs, pitched-up calls of “Aren’t you a little-” completed with responses of “Tired of laying of your face? / Lost in a northern colonial state,” transcendent gospel harmonies, and daring use of heavy bass, “Cold in the Summer” signifies a growth in songwriting that is both more grandiose and more intimate, qualities that persists across Beet the Mug.
Sapphic love is a recurring theme throughout Beet the Mug. Lead single “Bettyjo” features warmly-toned guitar leads that split the difference between a twang and a twinkle, embracing signatures of Philadelphia’s particular brand of emo. Accompanying the relaxed melodies are a set of lyrics that display a sweet romantic naivete on par with that of Big Star’s “Thirteen” (“Please / Mr. and Mrs. / Can I take your daughter out for / Hugs and kisses?”).
The final two tracks, “Someone You Loved” and “My Version of You,” are something of a pair. The former, a sparse, minute-long key ballad, sees Azemar recall asking a girlfriend to move across the country for her, implying that after the move, the relationship didn’t work out. The latter, meanwhile, seems to address an instance of unrequited love, where Azemar writes in her diary about her hopes of a relationship, only to witness the subject of her affection with someone else (“Someone’s been reading about / My version of you”). Both songs are tinged with sadness, a prevalent emotion on Beet the Mug (see “Person Is a Person,” which tackles the cyclical self-hatred older generations project upon the young, or the suicidal ideation of “Not Today but Someday”), but there’s a subtle feeling of hope that colors them as well. Perhaps an appreciation for being loved on “Someone You Loved,” and maybe a bittersweet recognition that someone else could see the same beauty Azemar saw in “My Version of You.”
Beet the Mug is a lovely collection of heartfelt bedroom pop that combines a greater degree of maturity with the personable charms Azemar has treasured since her debut. Cute while deftly side-stepping the pits of cloyingness, what she might have to come to terms with now is not that she belongs in the same world as the artists she admires, but that she may outshine them.