Kiwi jr. may be from Toronto, but it seems that they – like the rest of the Western world – are preoccupied with the looming US Presidential Election. Unlike most of the rest of us, they seem to be approaching it with a much more upbeat and humorous attitude, as evidenced by new single “Undecided Voters”. I suppose they have plenty to be happy about, considering this is their first release for the esteemed label Sub Pop, who will be releasing Kiwi jr.’s new album in 2021.
For now we have “Undecided Voters”, about which the band says: “We all know UNDECIDED VOTERS: democracy’s driftwood, the third planks in the flotsam that purple the pie chart, always on sight and never a part of the scene. Placing imminent demise neatly to one side, KIWI JR. concentrate on the real Issues: the terrible alliance between King Crab and the timezones; 3D printing causing mass sculptor redundancies; and the playlist at the Duane Reade. After all, who is it we’re really voting for: Spartacus or the dead?”
A jaunty rocker that immediately aligns them with Australian favourites (and now label-mates) Rolling Blackouts CF, “Undecided Voters” takes precisely 0.5 listens to get under your skin, being as it is so packed with vibrant guitars, propulsive percussion and ever-appearing earworm melodies. On your repeat listens you might pick up on some of the scenes in the song, as hinted at in the above quote: dead men shouting at Spartacus, photos of photos of the CN tower, King crabs with bank accounts – it’s hard to make heads or tails of it, but “Undecided Voters” is plenty addictive, you might listen to it repeatedly until you’ve cracked the code.
The video for “Undecided Voters” adds more layers to Kiwi jr.’s infectious silliness – check it out below.
With an announcement of a new album in the near future, make sure you follow Kiwi jr. on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
