Allie Sandt Ushers in Autumn with ‘The Right Time’
After what felt like an eternal July, August has finally lazily drifted in, and with each passing day, autumn lingers closer on the horizon. Dreams of warm drinks and wooly scarves are just within reach, and back-to-school season quickly draws nearer–we’re approaching a period where internet nostalgia is at its highest. Slideshows of childhood Septembers have begun to make the rounds on social media, with countless TikToks of warm lighting and soft sweaters and simpler times cropping up in droves. If this nostalgia had a sound, Allie Sandt would have mastered it with “The Right Time.”
Sandt performing "The Right Time" live last year.
The recent SUNY Oneonta graduate recently teased the single as a tune that, according to her, “feels like it’s off a CD you bought at the Starbucks counter in 2009,” and I couldn’t think of a more apt description. Her posts accumulated thousands of views leading up to the song's release, with viewers drawing parallels to Fiona Apple and Jack Johnson, eager to hear more.
Sandt isn’t new to the TikTok scene: in 2022, Seeing Double’s “Leah” made waves on the app, garnering five million streams on Spotify with Sandt on bass and vocals. The band was praised for their ABBA-like harmonies and classic 70s timbre, taking over For You Pages and quickly drawing in rock fans from all over the internet.
Sandt isn’t new to production, either: she mixed “Leah” for the band, and it’s obvious that she knows what she’s doing in the studio; the songs are both beautifully recorded, crisp, vibrant, and specific. Sandt cites Fleetwood Mac as an inspiration of hers, and their influence is clear; the bass is reminiscent of classic folk/soft rock artists, but there’s a certain twang that makes it Sandt’s own. It’s obvious when a song’s mood feels forced, but “The Right Time”’s groovy tone is completely organic–it’s as if Steely Dan, Carole King, and Norah Jones had a song baby. On just her second solo single, Sandt already seems to have found her sound, and it works beautifully.
“The Right Time” is the perfect soundtrack for the internet’s nostalgia; Sandt’s voice is rich and captivating, the ultimate anthem for these dreamy days on the cusp of summer and autumn.
