What do you get when you put Bri Flasch and Kiddest Sinke together? You get a great time in the form of bedroom-pop duo CyberGirlfriend—an underdog indie-pop band from the glowing neon signs and street vendor galore city of Los Angeles. I really need to start listening to my local music scene more often, because if it weren’t for Instagram shoveling the duo’s track, “Every Little Thing,” down my throat, I never would have found out about this group of party makers or their out of this world debut EP.
But, are CyberGirlfriend ready to showcase their larger-than-life personalities to the world? Or, is this duo destined to stay inside their bedroom-pop bubble indefinitely? Let’s find out.
The Review
Can We Hangout Another Time?:
CyberGirlfriend’s first taste for new listeners is a somber track that sets the mood just right for a night in that’s both fantastic and inner-searching wrapped together in a nice little musical package. “Can We Hangout Another Time?” is a beautiful track that brought my heart rate down a few notches and had me drifting towards the ceiling as I got lost in Bri Flasch’s sensational vocal melodies.
Lyrically, “Can We Hangout Another Time?” isn’t exactly like anything I’ve heard before. Coming from primarily the pop-punk genre, CyberGirlfriend’s brand of indie-pop isn’t really what I listen to much, but when you have lyrics like, “Got too much shit on my mind,” and “All these mixed signs/Tell myself lies/You still want to hang right?” You have to take notice of the complexity and simplicity of it all.
And, when combined with the chill-out vibed beats, you just can’t beat this. If you’re looking for a nice track to unwind to and just enjoy a sip of your favorite drink, this is it.
Every Little Thing:
Here we go, the song that started me down this cybernetic rabbit hole, leading me to the many skits of “Are you CyberGirlfriend!?” “Every Little Thing” has been stuck in my head for a good few weeks, and judging from the Spotify count, many others are in the same boat. Lyrically, “Every Little Thing” continues a form of basic lyric writing. Still, it’s highly effective within the nature of the track’s concert hall-ready instrumentals that will have listeners jumping around everywhere they go. Literally, on a recent trip to Disneyland, I had this track stuck in my head and was bouncing from ride to ride.
CyberGirlfriend truly has something special going on with this one that helps set this duo miles ahead of any competition. A pure explosive experience that will have listeners question everything and everyone around them. “Write your words in cursive/You make me so nervous.” This track is so cheesy that it’s going to find its way on our Song of the Year bracket and go up against some heavy hitters. But, I think “Every Little Thing” has a good chance at being our top song of 2021.
It’s a fun little track that just helps listeners disconnect, vibe the good vibes, and just overall jump around and question the people around them. Can you even ask for more?
WDYM?:
An uncertain future isn’t something CyberGirlfriend has to worry about, but they tackle the issue within “WDYM?” all too perfectly. “So, you’re back now?/Thought you were spaced out/Guess ya had time/What did you find?” Seriously, these are some of the best cheesy style lyrics I’ve had the pleasure of having entered my ears. The notions within “WDYM?” are quite basic in nature, but the themes playing throughout the barely over two-minute runtime are complex and life hitting. A song tons of listeners will relate to and understand with the simplicity of not overcomplicating one’s inner feelings.
“Shut up, you’re overthinking/Take a breath, and try to unwind,” like seriously. Fuck, this song is great, and Kiddest Sinke has a killer voice that helps the track reach new heights. As much as I love “Every Little Thing” for introducing me to these pop weirdos, it’s “WDYM?” that I’ll be coming back to over and over again as years pass by. It’s just a killer track, and nothing else needs to be said about it. If you only listen to one track off of Just Friends 4ever, make sure it’s this one. You’ll be hooked right after.
Katie Marie:
While growing up, wanting to be someone you’re not will always be a popular theme, and CyberGirlfriend tackles the theming perfectly. Also, can we just appreciate how amazing both Bri Flasch and Kiddest Sinke sound together? This duo is going places, and I truly hope those places are ready for the crazy pop fusion that will explode through the rooftops. I know I’ll have to be there to experience it. There will just be something special hearing the crowd sing back, “I want to be like Katie Marie/So everyone will love me.” I mean, we all have our own Katie Marie we’d love to be, right?
Bridging one’s self-doubt and jealous tendencies is the perfect combination for a song that will have lasting effects on listeners. As I always say, if a song can make the listener feel what’s being sung to them, you already have a winner. And CyberGirlfriend has yet another winner with this one.
Instrumentally, “Katie Marie” is my favorite. It’s the pop-punk, larger-than-life feeling that the instrumentals give off that had my attention with ease. While also drowning out the noise of life’s bullshit for just three and a half minutes. “Katie Marie” sits atop a throne of eargasmic levels of awesome that I’m now going to go back to listening to.
I Wish:
Want to know everything you need to know about CyberGirlfriend? “I Wish” is the song for you. “You don’t even know me/And you wonder why I’m lonely.” These lyrics alone broke my heart into a million little EMO-sized pieces. “I Wish” is a tragic tale of wanting, needing, and hoping someone would take the time to get to know the real you. A theme I know many out there will come to understand, and if you’re not there yet. Trust me, you will be.
“I Wish” might not be at the top of my list of favorite songs when I look back at Just Friends 4ever. But, I know it will come creeping up on me when I least expect it and when I need it the most. It’s a beautiful piece of sound that truly captures what CyberGirlfriend is all about; being true to yourself regardless if some a-hole doesn’t like awesome ’80s songs.
Instrumentally, the track flows back to the beginning of the duo’s debut EP and creates a peaceful and somber, lowkey experience that’s just breathtaking. A powerful musical experience that I’ll never forget listening to.
Wake Up:
A powerful track about moving on and flourishing into your true self? Nah, that’s crazy talk! “Wake Up” is just that. A true fuck the rest kind of song that’s exactly what I needed this week. So, thanks, CyberGirlfriend, for helping me say fuck the rest. Listeners will dance like crazy to the explosive instrumentals featured throughout “Wake Up,” as this duo finally brings forth some dance floor capable ’80s vibes that would fit right in with a true to form ’80s style remix.
“Miss me now that I’m gone/Want me now that I’ve moved on.” This is just so good! Why is it this good? This release has it all, cheesy lyrics that at times make me want to cringe that quickly become lyrics that make me smile, cry, and everything in between. “Wake Up” is an exceptional dance party in itself, and I can’t wait to hear this one performed live.
A perfect ending track to an explosive, emotion-driven release that has me wanting more yesterday. A complete bookend experience that hopefully sees this shining duo seeing the spotlight sooner rather than later.
Wrapping Up
CyberGirlfriend’s debut EP, just friends 4ever, is best described as an out-of-body experience masquerading around as a memorable soundtrack to a long-forgotten ’80s rom-com. It’s a true time-piece release that I can only predict will get better with age. Both Bri Flasch, Kiddest Sinke, and their outstanding team have all come together to create something extraordinary in a genre that honestly started to get boring. I can’t wait to hear more from these two down the line as they become tomorrow’s spotlight dazzlers.
Speaking about hearing more from CyberGirlfriend, the duo plan on releasing a new Halloween song titled “Nacho Bitch” on October 1st. If you’d also like to keep inside CyberGirlfriend’s inner circle, you should check out their Instagram profile. Also, don’t forget to stream just friends 4ever on your favorite streaming service.
