Back of My Hand – Bachelor

Beef up your 'mixtapes' with this growing collection of overlooked songs, old and new. One track, up to three times a week. Don’t forget to join in on the conversation, too.

‘You date the beauty queens/I see their bodies in magazines/Sharp jaw, size zero jeans/I skip a meal/I drink some tea’

Melina Duterte (Jay Som) and Ellen Kempner (Palehound) joined their indie-rock forces for a 2021 batch of songs under the name Bachelor that seem torn right of the 1990s. Back of My Hand, in particular, reminds me of Whip-Smart era Liz Phair, chock full of confession and barbs in a cerebral pop package. It’s a reminder that some of the most engaging music out there can come from anywhere (in Duterte’s case, initially from a bedroom studio), and that with a little digging, you’ll find an endless supply.