German indie artist Shelter Boy drops melancholic dream-pop on “Use Me”

The new offering from Simon Graupner, aka Shelter Boy, places the German artist somewhere at the intersection of guitar-based indie-rock and melancholic dream-pop, with clean guitars over a soft beat and dreamy chords.

While the soundscapes of “Use Me” feel warm as a hug, the lyrics seem like an introspective and self-reflective cry for some open arms and a new beginning, as the self-accusatory first lines hint: “Wish I didn’t treat you so / Wish that I really knew you perfectly well”.

As the playful guitar hits the lightest notes, the narrator’s reflections get darker: “Another voice was howling in the back of my head / but now you know that I was already dead,” Graupner sings, creating a beautiful contrast between sound and words before the catchy chorus hits.

Graupner, who started making music as the co-frontman and guitarist of indie five-piece Still Trees, released his first EP, Mirage Morning, this May. He's currently working on the follow-up and will hit the road for his first headline tour in the new year.