“Knees” uses each second of its runtime wisely, tracing a cool and confident path towards true, maniacal musical might. In spite of its status as the title track to its own dedicated Knees EP, PYTKO’s concoction comes off as unassuming initially. It has to take the time to gather emotional momentum, but that time was certainly not wasted.

PYTKO describes “Knees” on social media as her most personal piece of music released to date and it’s not difficult to see why. Lyrics run through the ghostly production like teenagers in a train station, acting more as accompaniments to the torrid ambience than statement pieces in themselves. A line such as “run ‘til the rich find us” would not feel so haunting without the quasi-industrial harshness of the liminal environment PYTKO produces around it. A listener can easily envision an uninviting space to match their thoughts while this track rattles around infectiously in the back of their mind. It’s a very universal song, an ode to surviving emotional hardship through pure strength of character. The choice of title is poignant here – though the atmosphere may appear psychedelic and otherworldly, the feelings are rooted firmly in reality, in the bones and joints that make us move past difficult points in our lives. PYTKO’s vocals are sublimely haunting for that very reason; they’re beautiful enough by themselves, but by conveying such a resonant message, her voice seems to transform into an aria as soon as it exits her throat, one that accepts what has gone before and forces the way open for new pathways to happiness. That is what has kept me coming back to this song after my first listen. “Knees” is about everyone, the common human trudge away from the dark and towards what we hope will eventually become light.