by Alice Zakusilo (@GhostyShibe)
Reminiscent of early 80’s punk, The Paranoyds - Staz Lindes (bass, guitar, vocals), Laila Hashemi (keys, vocals), Lexi Funston (guitar, bass, vocals), and David Ruiz (drums) - unleashed I Like It Here, a spunky, wild, tongue-in-cheek EP. Together they have been boundary-defying female-fronted garage rock for over fifteen years, as Haseemi and Lindes have been making music together since early childhood. Their ever-evolving sound has brought them to their latest EP, a raw indie rock adventure, an exploration that could only be made after a lifetime of friendship, highlighting their ability to connect creatively with each other to create an eccentric and unmatched sound.
They’re able to maintain a laidback, relaxed composure on this EP as they recount their days and their feelings about having lived in LA. The Paranoyds have this driven and almost rough fuzzy sound to them, with droning guitars and thumping bass, that despite sounding more relaxed, can whip up into a chaotic frenzy. This EP exists as somewhat of a sampling board of their different musical stylings, with each song taking on its distinct feeling and overall sound. I Like It Here is described by the band themselves as a metaphorical house that looks calm and peaceful from the outdoors, but on the inside, four different rooms are all wildly different from each other - one room is dark, the other romantic, another is cheery, and the last room is chaotic and wild.
This describes the composition of the EP, with each room representing a different song. It's a multifaceted album, representing how someone on the surface may appear calm and peaceful yet contain all these differing emotions and feelings within them. Serving a dual purpose, the EP explains what its like living in LA, and serves as a tour through this peculiar house. The Paranoyds show their genre-defying style along the way, not only is it that classic garage-rock sound they’ve been known for, but they’re able to traverse into post-punk and even some new-wave on this EP.
“Rita Lynn” would be the first room in the house, the dark one, exploring ideas of feeling different, unrequited love, and the emotional turmoil that often comes out of it. The synths are smooth but evolve into an almost wailing by the end, coming undone with the intensifying emotions. The guitars have a fuzzy texture, adding to the darker atmosphere. Funston sings “I'm on the outside looking in / I've got a bad, bad feeling yet again" and "meet me in a very crowded room / finding I only have eyes for you," exasperating this idea of feeling like an outsider.
Despite being surrounded by so many people, the narrator only wants to be around the one individual they have feelings for or loneliness begins to creep in. There only exists love for that one individual, but because it is unrequited, it leads to a bad feeling to the point where it's nearly haunting. Funston sings, “you're a ghost I cannot shake / it's beautiful the way you say my name," allowing the mundane things to become gorgeous while still haunting. No matter what one does, those feelings of emotional turmoil persist. It’s the struggle of an internal conflict, how impactful the unrequited love is on them, and the ghostly feeling it can leave someone with.
The closing song on this album, “the last room in the house” according to their analogy, the chaotic and wild one, is “I’m JK”. Starting with distorted synths, drawing guitars, and static-filled amps that add to the chaotic frenzy, the vocals are crisp and clear, accompanied by Hashemi on the keys. This song cleverly intertwines self-depreciation, critiques of societal expectations, and deep-seated insecurity to paint a vivid picture of using humor and sarcasm to mask feelings of inadequacy within society. The critique of societal norms, and creatures' coeternal markers of success and conformity are all present themes.
The self-depreciation is seen through lyrics like "went to college and got my degree / I'm just kidding, I'm just kidding" and "I got the top of my class / I'm just kidding, I'm just kidding” where these impressive successes are quickly diminished and not taken seriously. The amount of work to get a degree, and to be at the top of the class is an impressive achievement, and genuinely something to be proud of. There’s a harsh juxtaposition by refusing to be proud, perhaps downplaying or mocking their successes to shield against feelings of inadequacy and insecurity, of never quite feeling like enough.
The societal ideas of success, like an expensive house, is critiqued and treated as almost superficial, singing “bought a whole house made of crystal glass / I'm just kidding, I'm just kidding”. There’s a kind of disdain for the superficiality of it all, showing these goals to feel hollow, unfulfilling, and still not what is being desired. “I’m JK” is an exploration of just that, the struggle to find your place in the world and find what leaves you feeling fulfilled, the struggle to take stock in your accomplishments, the struggle to find what leaves you feeling happy with yourself, and the nagging insecurity of never quite feeling like you’ve found it.
I Like It Here is a massive testament to The Paranoyd’s constantly evolving artistry, with each track having the ability to take the listener through vivid emotional landscapes. This is done while still managing to critique societal norms and provide a raw emotional element. This EP encapsulates their distinctive sound, their relatability, and their absolute strength as artists. The Paranoyds are a bright creative force, able to vividly illustrate their struggles and feelings through their music.