Local Spotlight | “Way Down In Decatur”

When Kayla Le emerged in early 2019 as Sailor Goon, she did so fully formed. On tracks like the moody “Jospehine” and the atmospheric “Just For Me” Goon understates her powerfully agile vocals, running around and hurdling over intricately woven mixes that make use of truly unique samples, and often err on the side of roach-length joints. In addition, she’s deployed top-shelf visuals, accompanying tracks like 2020’s “Milk & Bones” with surrealist shorts that challenge as much as they entertain. 

Vocally, Le’s a singular talent. But it’s her distinctive sonic and visual style that has positioned Sailor Goon for a breakthrough. 

A new song, “Way Down in Decatur” will do nothing to slow that momentum. After establishing a tempo and overall feel with some laid back vocal runs over horns and hissy cymbal work, Le dances nimbly through the verse, combining rapid-fire wordplay with sultry expositions as the 808s-style percussion kicks the song into a higher gear. 

She’s a blondie
Can barely take her hands off me
Tastes like ginger
The molly make her lip bitter
Her tips get bigger
Her trips are paid for
By your local Bezos

Le seems in a playful mood, teasing out new melodies with each phrase, flexing––just a bit––on the song’s hook: “Miss Molly / Miss Molly / Way Down in Decatur.”

As has become Sailor Goon’s calling card, distinguishing vocal samples and atmospherics hover over the mix, aligning “Decatur” with contemporary bedroom pop fare––though Goon’s enigmatic lyrics seems to indicate she prefers psilocybin as she lays her head on the pillow. 

And “Decatur” represents just a small sample of what has been a productive year for Le. As she’s been isolating, Le’s put new Sailor Goon content on the front-burner. And, as her newest track makes clear, she’ll continue to deploy her topnotch vocals and unique style to chart her own path through bedroom pop production.