Sometimes, I know there's a strong chance I'm going to like a song based on its title alone. "Cradle the Pain" is one such title that immediately tugged at my sleeve.
It's the debut solo single from Morgan Nagler, of the bands Supermoon (not to be confused with the Vancouver group of the same name) and Whispertown, who has co-written songs with the likes of Phoebe Bridgers, Haim, the Breeders and Madi Diaz. In a press release, she said this song was currently something of a mantra for her, and it's easy to see why.
The way the white-hot (or icy grey) word "pain" is met with the softness of a protective hand, the instruction is cushioned by fuzzed-out guitar, oscillating to squelchy new heights in the extended outro. "Cradle the pain, it's all the same / It's what you make of it," Nagler sings, making an example out of this dreamy, raw-hemmed introductory statement.