mlky’s ‘The Guy At The Bar’ Is A Cute Tale About A Summer Fling
mlky. Photo supplied.
There’s a stereotype about falling in love with your bartender. After all, who doesn’t want free drinks? I’m currently in a long-term relationship with a bartender, and her cocktail skills are top-notch. I think it’s worked out pretty well (we even have a puppy together).
However, if you’re queer songwriter/producer mlky, then you’ve been on the other side of the bar. He’s experienced the bartender/patron relationship from the bartender’s perspective, and he wants to talk about a relationship gone wrong. His second and latest single, the guy at the bar, talks about a summer fling he had while working at the Norfolk. If you’ve ever worked in hospitality, this might just become your new anthem - or at least, you’ll relate to the line about working for "$20 per hour”.
The guy at the bar is a bit of a surprising earworm. The production is understated yet intoxicating, and I found myself hitting the repeat button as soon as it finished. Mlky’s vocal delivery is almost a whisper, but his lyrics are witty and insightful. There are quite a few quotable lines on this track, many more than I’d usually catch in a pop song. If you’re a hospo worker I can definitely see you putting a quote from this track in your Instagram bio. Hey, it beats quoting a Drake song.
Speaking about the track, mlky says that bartending is a great way to see what society’s really like. “Bartending really opened my eyes to how a lot of society behaves (especially when drunk lol). I have so many stories to tell from last summer. I was in a bad place and bartending was the job that got me back on my feet.
“Thinking about that time in my life where I was finding myself again, I remember the countless sweaty days/night working in a shitty Redfern pub, whilst the city was covered in smoke, and all the little relationships and friendships I formed around that place. That period of my life has been very influential to me.”
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Check out the guy at the bar below. Mlky’s vocals are just as great as his production, and he’s managed to capture the zeitgeist of the sounds that work in 2020, while also putting his own spin on things. Every aspect of the track works in tandem, and it’s catchy as all get out. Keep an eye on mlky. I reckon he’s got a few hits up his sleeve.