by Dan Goldin (@post_trash_)
The Bay Area’s Never Young were the type of band that always looked forward, in search of what comes next, instead of simply rehashing what came before. They released some records of good, thoughtful, artistic punk, and then they called it quits. Which brings us to Dye, a new project from the core of Never Young, a band that operates under a similar direction but with an expanded sense of dynamics and a stronger dip into the shadows of pop. The Oakland quartet are set to release their debut, Psychic Data, on August 2nd via Madeline Kenney’s Copper Mouth Records, blending together swarming shoegaze, slacker pop jangle, and easily digestible melodies.
“Hostage,” the record’s second single (following “Tilt”) a song that opens with crackling guitars and a rhythm section that positively snaps into place. The thickened bass and regimented snare shots act as the backbone, barreling forward as the guitars swirl and warble around them, fading in and out of the darkness with sharpened melodic points and low ominous washes of distortion. The vocals offer a tension of sorts during the song’s sleek verses, opening into a bright celebratory melody with the garage pop reminiscent hook. It’s a release from the murky textures into something open and shimmering, a ray of light shining through the gloom.