8/10
Indie-punk outfit Remo Drive is back with their new single, “Star Worship”, and this new track shows a lot of growth from their last record, which tried everything this track did right but seemed to fall a little too short. Remo Drive’s 2017 debut record, Greatest Hits, was fantastically raw, with cool guitar riffs, angsty lyrics, and nothing but all around energy. After putting out their Pop Music EP in 2018, Remo Drive seemed to hit a bit of a rough patch, trying to take their raw punk sound somewhere a little different, which resulted in 2019’s Natural, Everyday Degradation, which had a few standout tracks on it, but overall stood out as a lull in their discography. It was apparent on this record that they still had the same energy as their first release, but it wasn’t nearly as raw and exuberant. Erik Paulson’s lyrics seemed to not have much substance, the riffs were too poppy, and after about 4 songs it felt as though the record had run its course. Along with the announcement of their new record, Portrait Of An Ugly Man, they have released their lead off single “Star Worship”, and this track feels like everything Natural, Everyday Degradation should have been. The riff is interesting and catchy, Paulson’s lyrics are fun and have a narrative, not only is he asking questions about things that are bothering him, but he is also examining his role in the music industry. Everything about this track just screams fun to me, since it’s release I have found myself returning to it more than I would like to admit. It opens with an ethereal guitar riff that has tons of miniscule inflections that get stuck in your head easily, and the picking and chords here sound funky. It gets your head bopping, the bass does a fantastic job at backing the busy guitar riff, and the drumming on this track from Sam Bekt is fantastically written. I can’t say enough good things about this track, and I am so excited to see what they do with this full length release. In the meantime, check out this single. It is fun, a good look at the role of musicians in the music industry, and has enough musical talent spread throughout to blow you away.