On “Punishment,” The Effens Point Out When Caregiving Can Turn Parasitic

The Toronto group is releasing their “Eventually” EP on July 30 via Hidden Pony/LootBag Records.
On “Punishment,” The Effens Point Out When Caregiving Can Turn Parasitic

The Toronto group is releasing their “Eventually” EP on July 30 via Hidden Pony/LootBag Records.

Words: Margaret Farrell

June 23, 2021

The Effens, a Toronto four-piece, have been dropping singles since April in anticipation of their EP Eventually, which is out July 30. Their music has a moodiness reminiscent of alt-pop acts like Jack’s Mannequin, Yellowcard, or even Death Cab for Cutie, but with a bit more edge. Their last single “Venom Denim” was a glimpse into what Saintseneca might sound like if they went punk. The follow-up to that track, “Punishment,” finds them taking a left turn from their signature quiet-loud pattern with an unnerving narrative take.

“Punishment” looks at how a caring demeanor can be sinister. The band revealed it’s about “the ways someone can control another by ‘caring’ or ‘helping’ them. Being a caregiver can become such a deep rooted part of your identity that you don’t actually want the person you are ‘caring’ for to get better. This song is written from the point [of view] of someone who is sabotaging an individual just enough so that they are unable to become independent and will continue to rely on their ‘caregiver.’”

The tinny drumbeat hypnotically clicks in the background as guitars unfurl around it like alarms bells set aflame. There’s a chugging guitar that adds a layer of malevolence as the lyrics recall something out of a Lifetime special about Munchausen syndrome by proxy.

Listen below.