There’s something properly gutting about “Either Way I Lose,” the latest from Central Coast’s Elaskia.
Co-written with The Rubens and Sydney artist Lola Scott, it’s one of those tracks where the dreamy production almost makes the heartbreak go down easier. Almost.
The production has this hazy, floating quality to it. Those tender acoustics give it an almost live feel, whilst Elaskia’s vocals have this sweet, breathy quality that wraps around you like a fog. It’s the kind of song that gets under your skin and refuses to leave.
Lyrically, it’s about the worst kind of timing; falling hard for someone when the circumstances are completely wrong.
The opening verse rushes through time (“days into months”) before hitting that brutal realisation in the chorus: whether she stays or goes, she loses something.
The way she sings “either way I lose” twice at the end of each chorus feels almost resigned, like she’s already made peace with the fact that there’s no winning here.
What makes it work is how the dreamy soundscape contrasts with the subject matter. The production creates this beautiful, ethereal space, but the lyrics are gutting.
It’s pleasure and pain rolled into one; sad lyrics dressed up in gorgeous harmonies. Somehow that makes it hit harder, with her delivery selling it completely.
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