Shallow Alcove’s ‘Mangos’ is a gentle fusion of anxiety, nostalgia, and healing, delicately revealing our past selves and our evolving identities.
Recommended for listeners of: Sydney Rose, Gracie Abrams, Alix Page, Lila Dupont.
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Listen to: “Mangos” – Shallow Alcove.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve been on the lookout for a song that feels like it came directly from my diary. “Mangos” by Shallow Alcove is precisely that song for me. I cried the first time I heard it, and each time thereafter, I found myself in tears again. I still can’t fully explain why it resonated with me so intensely, but perhaps that’s the essence of it. Occasionally, a song articulates feelings you haven’t yet expressed – and suddenly, the words emerge.
I went to the mall to return my body, but they informed me it had been over 30 days. I visited the beach seeking happiness, but I ended up crying throughout the vacation. I’ve always dreamed of exploring the world, yet here I stand on this old cobblestone, wishing to return to my grade school days, playing in my neighbor’s front yard. Despite all the miles accumulated, I hardly miss you; I just miss myself.
I first encountered Shallow Alcove through a random Spotify suggestion – the song “Aim to Please,” a sweet anthem for recovering people-pleasers like myself. However, it was “Mangos,” which debuted in late October 2024, that truly moved me. This soft, melancholic folk tune delves deep, posing quietly devastating questions surrounding identity, anxiety, and the often unnoticed moments that shape our lives.
Grace Kirchbaum, lead vocalist and songwriter of the band, shared in an interview for C Word Magazine that she penned “Mangos” during their inaugural European tour. She was contending with emetophobia – an intense fear of vomiting – which led to severe panic attacks. While I don’t experience that specific fear, I struggle with claustrophobia, and her depiction of anxiety transforming even the simplest experiences, such as airplane seating choices, struck a chord with me.
I used to yearn for the window seat, admiring the clouds below. Now, I pay extra for the aisle seat, burdened with this irrational anxiety. Just as my hair reaches the perfect length, I know I’ll want to chop it off. That line devastated me, bringing to mind my own sleepless nights following panic attacks, the unfounded fears that escalate into physical tremors, and the weight that lingers even while on vacation, in love, or surrounded by beauty. “Mangos” captures this feeling exquisitely – it articulates the quiet dread that trails us across continents and cobblestones, a sadness untouched by the charm of the setting.
Seated in a picturesque European square, I realize that sadness can find you anywhere.
There’s something profoundly genuine about that acknowledgment, especially when combined with Kirchbaum’s stripped-down guitar and poignant vocals. It’s not flashy or overproduced. Much like the rest of Shallow Alcove’s music, “Mangos” embraces a DIY intimacy, reminiscent of whispered confessions between friends during a sleepover. You can tell this is a band that grew from playing in basements and backyards to performing in established venues. Their sound prioritizes closeness, honesty, and connection over perfection.
In the evening, I’m convinced I might die. When morning arrives, I’m grateful to still be alive. And despite all the miles I’ve traveled, I hardly miss you; I just miss myself.
Throughout “Mangos,” the song gradually and brilliantly unveils layers of nostalgia, grief, and self-reflection. It’s about aging and recognizing how many versions of oneself have been left behind in the journey to becoming someone new. Yet, it’s also about a more tender theme: the ability to return to oneself.
As a child, I despised mangos. Now I find myself on an Italian park bench, pondering where all the time has gone, sticky mango juice running down my chin, and in that moment, I realize my capacity for change. That final verse left me stunned. It reminded me that healing isn’t always loud or cinematic; sometimes it’s about enjoying mango juice and realizing you don’t have to perish as you once believed you would. I’ve transformed significantly in recent years – once a chronic peacekeeper, contorting myself into impossible configurations to keep others happy. Listening to “Mangos” felt like a validation to embrace a new version of myself. Or perhaps just a more genuine one.
Shallow Alcove’s recent album, Doggy Paddle, continues this theme of poignant beauty. With eight tracks, including “Music Box,” “Aim to Please,” “Pampa, TX,” “Gnaw
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Shallow Alcove’s 'Mangos' is a gentle exploration of anxiety, nostalgia, and healing, softly revealing the essence of our past selves and our evolving identities.