Destrends – Mindfulness
Similar artists: Amyl and The Sniffers, Fontaines D.C., The Chats
Genre: Punk, Post-Punk
The world’s getting safer, and healthier, and there’s a user manual for everything. Sadly, our punk-rock heroes, or the ones who were supposed to follow in their footsteps, are virtually obsolete. I’m not just talking about the rock n’ roll idiots who soaked their bodies in whiskey and cocaine to the point that they were stuttering their name by the age of 35.
The fact is that punk rock wasn’t just about messing things up, breaking things down, or causing chaos. That was just part of it. The more important, less talked about part was the one where all the work would go into building things back up. It’s music of self-discovery, yes, but with the safety net taken out and hidden. It’s a self-imposed trial by fire.
Destrends’s “Mindfulness” sounds like music made by people who can’t cope with the times. And this is, at least partly, what makes this so exciting. It’s a tune that feels like the antithesis of fake health crazes and polite hypocrites. This is partly because it cleverly and naturally takes on the immediacy and tension of bands like Amyl and The Sniffers. What you’re left with is a sound by people who wouldn’t be able to know where to start with conforming to the rules of the times.
Elson – Moments
Genre: Post-Punk, Shoegaze, Alternative Rock
The prime minister of the United Kingdom recently praised pop-rock performers for what they do for the Empire. In his words, they represent the soft power that allows Britain to influence the world from afar. And while it is easy to chalk that down to the arrogance of having once been a glorious empire, everything he says is true.
You can blame the English for a lot of things, especially if you are a resident of a country less oppressed by weather, like Portugal or Spain. But they have been at the vanguard of pop music evolution. Arguably, the island’s last truly great moment was back in the mid-90s. Not only was Britpop and electro-infused rock ringing across the world. But a more subtle, no less anthemic, guitar-powered sound driven by bands like Ride was making an impact.
Elson’s “Moments” echoes that dreamy, not-quite-Britpop sound. This is a thoughtful tune, a song equally as appropriate for meditating as for jumping around. Moody guitar lines drip off like ice from the ever-diminished glaciers while the vocals attempt to make you think it’s going to be Saturday night forever and everything will turn out alright. There’s also a chorus worth talking about and singing out, but I’m sure you’ll notice it yourselves.
