I’ve been listening to a lot of modern indie-pop and "dreamy" alternative tracks lately, and I’ve noticed a trend. Every song sounds like it was recorded through a thick layer of cigarette smoke and 1950s nostalgia. Is the "hazy" aesthetic actually a creative choice, or is it just a convenient way to hide the fact that nobody writes actual hooks anymore? It’s like as soon as you add enough reverb and mention a "dark paradise" or "summertime" vibe, everyone calls it a masterpiece. Does anyone actually want clear production anymore, or are we just stuck in a loop of romanticizing the past because the present sounds too digital?