Endearments Reveal Emotional Reckoning On "An Always Open Door"

Written By: Big C

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Like a door left ajar in the quiet hours of the night, some memories refuse to stay closed. Brooklyn trio Endearments step into that space with their debut album, An Always Open Door. Bassist and vocalist Kevin Marksson, guitarist Anjali Nair, and drummer Will Haywood Smith shape a sound that pulls equally from ’80s synth-pop shimmer and the emotional urgency of late-’90s emo. Across nine tracks of synth-backed indie rock, the records unfolds balancing introspection with surging instrumental weight. Lush guitars swell beside pulsing rhythms while reflective lyrics trace the fragile space between memory and growth. Rather than simply revisiting old wounds, the band reframes them with clarity and hard-earned perspective. Marksson recalls:

When I wrote the first two Endearments EPs, 'Father Of Wands' and "It Can Be Like This," I was only recently outside of the events that inspired those songs: a failed marriage; a hopeful new relationship. When I sat down to write lyrics for our first full-length record, I had no intention of interrogating those memories and feelings again. Nevertheless, as the songs took shape, I felt myself looking back at the last six years with a renewed sense of curiosity.

The album’s emotional center becomes especially vivid on the track Saline, where the band leans into a more expansive sonic palette. Produced by Abe Seiferth and featuring contributions from Liv Price and Chris Croarkin, the project positions Endearments firmly within the evolving indie rock landscape. Throughout the album, Endearments transform those moments of internal conflict into songs that feel both personal and universal. Each track becomes another reflection in the mirror the band holds up to themselves. Experience the album in full here and connect with Endearments on Instagram, Bluesky, YouTube, Spotify, Apple Music, and Bandcamp.

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