Song of the Week: Ping! What does my cell phone offer?

Saya Gray weaves together delicate threads of understated electro sounds on “Annie, Pick a Flower.. (Betty).”

Saya Gray: “Annie, pick a flower… (Betty).” When you’re composing music, you feel like you’re in a trance, as Japanese-Canadian musician Saya Gray once said. This song also sounds poignant, and feels much longer than it actually is. Exactly three minutes later, there is silence, and then the song begins tenderly again. This reinforces the impression of an ellipse in which Gray spins the delicate threads of reduced electric sounds together and unfolds them again. The lyrics are vague, with an explanatory paragraph sent out to the world with the song: The song was written while Gray was housebound for weeks with pneumonia. It is about “the lack of substance in relationships, art and thought due to technological progress.” In keeping with this, the distinctive ping sound sounds all at once, announcing new Whatsapp messages – and your eyes involuntarily fall to your cell phone. every-time.