Cross Record, “Steady Waves”

When you hear the delicate opening guitar line of Cross Records’ new single, “Steady Waves,” The Pixies may not be the first band that comes to mind. But this duo out of Dripping Springs, Texas utilizes Pixies-style loud-soft-loud dynamics beautifully, even if Cross Records’ version of loud is on the softer side.

Cross Record’s dramatic new song, “Steady Waves,” begins with delicate fingerpicked guitar by Dan Ducszynski and the soft, fragile vocals of Emily Cross. But what starts like a lamb surges to a lion’s roar as the song picks up speed and instruments, with insistent drumming, electric guitar fuzz and layered vocal choruses, pounding to a climax until everything suddenly drops away again, exposing the simple acoustic guitar and vocals once more.

“Shimmering, it makes me dizzy,” Cross sings, her voice sometimes cracking at the edges as the song fades, these “Steady Waves” lapping softly at the edge of the beach as the tide runs out again. Loud-soft-loud: Still working after all these years.