San Diego’s unstoppable force Tamar Berk is back, and she’s bringing her sharpest emotionally charged indie rock and alt-pop yet on her fifth solo album, ocd, landing September 5th. First up? The gut-wrenchingly honest single “stay close by”, dropping August 8th. Look, this isn’t your typical bubblegum pop – we’re talking power-pop that bites, polished till it gleams but still with honesty and energy. KCRW nailed it calling this a “sweet-spot-bullseye“ hit.
“stay close by” is a whole experience. Berk calls it a “long, deep exhale,” and man, does that fit. This song sets the mood for all of ocd – what she describes as a “full-body map of overthinking, emotional spirals, and obsessive introspection.” You’ve got this gentle but desperate reach for connection when everything feels uncertain, catching that delicate moment of “hopeful optimism that hasn’t quite panned out yet.” Berk doesn’t clean up the messiness – she spins it into something beautifully melancholic.
Berk’s confessional lyrics hit with the weight of truth, lingering “like a thought you can’t shake.” The track’s rock-solid foundation comes from Berk’s own multi-instrumental chops – she’s handling guitar, bass, piano, Wurlitzer, Prophet and Farfisa organs, synth, harmonica, and percussion. Crucially, it’s co-produced with drumming legend Matt Walker (Smashing Pumpkins, Garbage, Filter), whose veteran touch definitely shapes the track’s push and pull, its breathing room, and that killer intimate punch.
This track confirms Tamar Berk as a songwriter operating at her rawest and most compelling, unafraid to explore the chaotic beauty of the human mind. It’s sad but somehow lifts you up, fuzzy around the edges but laser-focused on making you feel something. This is power-pop for those of us who think too much, feel too hard, and dig for meaning in life’s gorgeous mess. “stay close by” hits all DSPs August 8th, with the full album ocd following on September 5th. And hey, don’t sleep on her hometown show opening for Material Issue at Chicago’s Schubas Tavern on September 27th – perfect homecoming for an artist whose voice keeps getting more vital.