Sacramento outfit Soft Science presents ‘Understand’, the second offering from their fifth album Sand, released via Shelflife Records in North America and Spinout Nuggets in the UK. A reflection on time, memory, and emotional patience, the song drifts through the feeling of carrying someone close even as years pass, holding onto their words like echoes that refuse to fade.
A buoyant track with a glimmer of hope and Lush-infused vibes, at its heart, ‘Understand’ offers reassurance: when life becomes difficult, return to what is simple and true. Darkness may come, but so will another day—bringing space, breath, and the possibility that one day, everything will make sense.
Soft Sciencepairs shimmery atmosphere with a sense of restless momentum via their signature blend of dream pop, shoegaze and indie rock. Made up of longtime collaborators Katie Haley (lead vocals, percussion), Matt Levine (lead guitar), Ross Levine (guitar, backing vocals), Tony Cale (drums), Becky Cale (bass, backing vocals), and Hans Munz (atmospheric electronics), they craft immersive music defined by layered guitars, ethereal vocals, synth textures, and postpunk-influenced propulsion.
“As we were writing this song, Ross came up with the chorus ‘and I know one day you’ll understand’. It made me think about my kids, who are teens now. Your teens can be hard and the things you go through often feel very raw. I like to think that this is a song of encouragement to anyone who is going through something hard, but my teenagers were an inspiration,” says Katie Haley.
“The first verse is about how much I treasure them and the second verse is words of encouragement and reminders that you can get through hard things and sometimes we just need time to let things pass. It’s good to learn how to give yourself a break. It can take time to "understand" some of the things we go through in life and find a deeper meaning or pivot to find a better way to go. I hope the song brings that kind of comfort to those who hear it”.
Ross Levine adds, “Writing ‘Understand’ started with the verse melody and figuring out the chords to go with it, but we tried not to always go with the obvious change, which I think gives a little more freshness and a sense of exploration while still being solidly pop”.
‘Understand’ arrives on the trail of the lead track, ‘Spinning’, a propulsive and emotionally charged track with accompanying video by Matthew Maxwell, capturing the dizzying frustration of being caught in an emotional loop—repeating the same conversations, hoping to be heard, and wondering if anything is getting through. Here, they turn relationship fatigue into something hypnotic, melodic and relatable.
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Photo by John Conley
Aural Aggravation 