The University of Vermont's Independent Voice Since 1883

The Vermont Cynic

The University of Vermont's Independent Voice Since 1883

The Vermont Cynic

The University of Vermont's Independent Voice Since 1883

The Vermont Cynic

Singing in harmony: a song review of Tiny Habits’s recent releases 

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Molly Parker
Molly’s illustration for the Tiny Habits music review column.

Light bounces off a sparkling disco ball and blue spotlights shine down on center stage as the crowd watches, enchanted by the opening act. 

In an hour or so, Gracie Abrams will be on stage, but now, a harmonious trio is the center of attention. Their delicate harmonies piqued my interest immediately. My anticipation for the main act disappeared momentarily, entranced by this trio’s sound. 

I immediately ran to look up the artists at the end of their set and became a fast fan. Tiny Habits, a singer-songwriter trio formed in 2022, has carefully created a signature sound of three-part harmonies that make their music so beautifully intimate. 

Starting out in a dorm stairwell singing covers at Berklee College of Music, they have now put out an array of songs, opened for artists like Gracie Abrams and Noah Kahan, collaborated with artists such as Lizzy McAlpine and will perform at Lollapalooza this summer. 

The group recently performed at the Minetta Lane Theater in New York with Kacey Musgraves, earning them a feature piece in the New Yorker following the show, which called them “The Prodigies of Harmonies.” 

Maya Rae, Cinya Khan and Judah Mayowa have headlined two of their own tours and put out a 2023 six-song-EP titled “Tiny Things” over the past year. Now, they are preparing for a new era with the release of three new songs. 

The first of these songs, titled “Mudroom,” makes the transition into their new album clear: a collection of heartfelt lyrics, bolder sounds and of course, their familiar harmonies. Opening with a delicate guitar, the group sings about the uncertainty of a new relationship with elegantly layered harmonies. 

“You’re what I need, I think that scares me / So, I’m waiting in the mudroom.” 

The chorus picks up with a soft, muted beat as they sing from the perspective of someone’s hesitation after a previous relationship.

By the closing words of the song, the trio has brought the listener through an entire story. 

“Grab my coat and take off my shoes / Go inside and leave the mudroom.” 

Following the release of “Mudroom” Feb. 27, the group celebrated a double release on March 26, with “Flicker” and “I Don’t Have the Heart.” 

A turn from the hopeful theme of “Mudroom,” “Flicker,” backed by slow drums, comes from someone feeling used in a difficult relationship as the other person “flickers” away. 

In a cathartic outro, the song slows down. 

“Deflecting blame / I don’t remember / Maybe for forgiveness’ sake / I’ll say the same / I don’t either.” 

“‘I don’t have the heart’ was like the missing piece of something bigger,” the trio stated in a March 26 Instagram post

An upbeat contrast to the previous two songs, “I don’t have the heart” describes a person stuck in a relationship they can’t continue.

“And I’m stuck / Between you and a wall / Looking through the door / I don’t have the heart.” 

The rising vocal trio are currently on their “Little Bit Farther Tour” across North America and Europe, continuing to hint at even more new music and, hopefully, their debut album. 

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About the Contributor
Molly Parker
Molly Parker, Illustrations Editor
(She/her) Molly Parker is a senior studio art and anthropology double major from Hopedale, Mass. She had been a member of the illustrations team since the spring of 2020 before becoming editor of the section in the spring of 2023. Molly also creates prints and zines that she displays in the Burlington area as well as her hometown. Apart from illustrating and creating art, she loves watching horror movies, cooking and crocheting. Email [email protected] to get in contact with Molly.