Natalie Schlabs has unveiled her latest single “Don’t Look Too Close,” the title track from her forthcoming album due out October 16th. The album was written while Schlabs was pregnant with her first child, which sparked a lot of introspection and reflection, and caused her to process her fears about becoming a mother.  “Don’t Look Too Close,” which simmers with indie pop sensibilities, is about the inevitability of making mistakes, a cycle that seems nearly impossible to avoid. The song’s accompanying video, filmed and directed by Joshua Britt and Neilson Hubbard, visualizes the cycle as Schlabs’ hair and makeup are done and then stripped away repeatedly. It’s about being able to take an honest look at who we really are – the good and the bad. Change can come simply from that awareness. 

The nine tracks that comprise Don’t Look Too Close, the second full-length effort from the Texas-bred Nashville-based artist, live in the tension between the beauty and heartbreak surrounding our closest relationships. Don’t Look Too Close steps into indie territory with a compelling mix of instrumentation laced with solo vocals that bloom into easy, delicate harmonies. Co-produced by Juan Solorzano and Zachary Dyke, with Caleb Hickman on saxophone and Joshua Rogers on bass, the album swells and ebbs with elegant, absorbing shapes. The songs are moody, candid, and tender, each featuring Schlabs’ characteristically sleek vocals front-and-center, backed by charming instrumental moments that add form and depth to the melodies.