Outlaw Cartier – “lil runaway”

Outlaw Cartier’s debut single “lil runaway” is a confident first move from a Philadelphia artist formerly known as Chxrles, and the shift in direction makes sense once you hear it. The production sits in post-punk and darkwave territory, atmospheric and a little cold, but there’s an R&B undertow that keeps it from going full goth exercise. Acts like The Cure and ThxSoMch come to mind, but so does Drake, and that combination is less contradictory than you’d expect.

The song is about escaping badly. Coping with vices, wanting to vanish, pushing against the boundary between reckless and genuinely dangerous. It’s heavy material handled with enough restraint that it doesn’t tip into self-pity. The production and the subject matter are well matched, which isn’t always a given on debut releases. The song also signals a larger project in the works, one built around a specific mood and a consistent point of view. That’s worth paying attention to.

If you’re new to this artist, go back and listen to the Outlaw Cartier discovery to hear where he started. The distance between then and now is real. Follow Outlaw Cartier on whatever platform you use because this is the kind of project that rewards early attention. Are you already familiar with the darker corners of Philadelphia’s independent music scene, or is this your entry point?