Over the course of a handful of singles and EPs, you can hear Brooklyn’s Punchlove evolve from the modest bedroom-pop duo they began as in late-2020 into a full-blown (and, potentially, speaker-blowing) shoegaze quintet. The latest evidence of that evolution arrives today in the form of their debut single for Kanine Records, “Dead Lands,” a meditation on grief that maintains a dense atmosphere even before the crashing wave of reverb hits alongside its chorus, vocalist Jillian Olesen’s lyrics barely discernible in the mix.
Regarding the lyrical themes, which land as heavily as the music itself, Olesen shares: “You end up hurting yourself more when you don’t allow yourself to give into the greater static of the inevitable decay all around you, as well as the grief and change. It's all part of being human. For me, this song is about the frustration you face when you try to avoid it.”
Check out the glitchy visualizer for the track below, and stream the song here.
