Written by Eve Elliot
LA-based singer-songwriter Niko Rubio has been on a journey toward discovering her sound. Her first EP, released in 2021, launched her music career with a more stereotypical indie-rock sound. late night swim, her most recent release and first full-length album, is anything but stereotypical. Rubio blends genres like trip-hop and reggae into an alternative pop album dripping with passion and intrigue. As a Mexican-Salvadoran American, she also draws from her heritage, heard most clearly on “que si que no”, in which she sings in both English and Spanish.
In a TikTok post, Rubio described late night swim as a concept album focused on themes of love and heartbreak. The album is told from the viewpoint of a spy trying to avenge her broken heart under the guise of an LA party girl.
The album's concept is realized on the opening track, “tokyo”. Sonically rich and mysterious, Rubio opens with a spoken vocal coated in reverb. She says, “I should tell him to drop dead/But I tell him I love him instead/Lucky girls, swing to nowhere”. It’s a seductive intro that invites us to go on a journey and drive through the night with Rubio.
The title track “late night swim” perfectly captures the album's central themes. The alluring power of a late-night swim is compared to spells, magic, and prayer. In the chorus, Rubio sings, “I have tried manifesting/Staying up late till the telephone rings, oh/You can cry and pray and sing/It won’t work like skinny-dipping”. The song is hypnotic and endlessly catchy, with a smooth bassline that complements atmospheric synths.
One of the album's most sonically interesting songs, and the one that got me hooked on Rubio, is “kitty”. Looped, echoey vocals open the track, followed by a discordant bassline. It creates a sense of unease, like Rubio is casting a spell on us in the midst of her heartbreak. The tension builds in the bridge as ascending vocals reveal that Rubio is aware of her lover’s infidelity. “I know you’ve done it all, yeah/I know you’ve seen it all before/And though you say you love me/I know I’m not the only one”. It’s a dramatic and powerful moment where Rubio reveals inner strength in her understanding of the situation. After the bridge, the song strips back to its bare essentials, bringing us back down to the reality of the heartbreak.
“i can’t wait forever” is the tenth and final track on the album. It’s a gentle, lo-fi tune with soft, almost spoken vocals akin to Suzanne Vega’s “Tom’s Diner”. The lullaby-ish quality of “i can’t wait forever” makes it a perfect album closer, a gentle delivery from an emotionally and sonically expansive album.
Although “late night swim” is full of different musical influences, it still manages to create a unique sound and feel that's entirely its own. You may not know her name yet, but give late night swim a listen and you’ll want to keep diving into Niko Rubio’s music.
