“I put mine on a platter, yours on a pedestal, not that mine doesn’t matter, it’s just regrettable that yours is all too scarce, like nothing else compares; and mine can only pale in comparison and fade in my own presence under blue skies.” This may be one of the most heartbreakingly poetic love songs I’ve ever listened to… To say that I was spellbound when I first heard the song would be an understatement as I lost more than an hour of my life lying within the lustre of this haunting lullaby. Backdropped by rain and lead by sparse keys, Catch 22 finds IkeN and Gabbie reeling after losing themselves in partners who mean everything to them. Reconciling with what might happen when this love ends they realize how lost they feel without it, as well as how much of themselves they have already given away to make it work. IkeN and Gabbie’s pure tones are ethereal vessels of vulnerability that inject the production with an avalanche of harmonies that render you still. Catch 22 is poetry unravelling into despair as IkeN chooses to fully lose himself in the madness despite knowing how damaging this decision will be, despite knowing how fickle this terrain is he can’t let go. Catch 22 feels timeless, it’s a void I keep getting lost in because of the inspired writing, captivating performances and wistful arrangement. IkeN and Gabbie are new discoveries I’m absolutely enamoured by. I can’t wait to see what more comes from them as they continue to mature in their music making. Catch 22 captures magic, to me, it’s my favourite duet of this year and a strong contender amongst my favourite ballads of the decade.

Read more Gabbie related content here, Read the full Top 22 of 2022 here.