Canadian quartet Preoccupations are back with news of their first album in four years; it’s called Arrangements and will arrive on September 9. They’ve also shared a new track called “Ricochet” from it, with vocalist Matthew Flegel saying:
“The lyrics are pretty conspicuous and self explanatory on this one, but it’s basically about the world blowing up and no one giving a shit.”
Preoccupations have long been doomsayers, so the theme is no surprise, but that doesn’t stop it from thrilling. The guitars jangle while the bass and drums drive forward, Flegel observing the gradual but undeniable crumbling of society. His vivid descriptions range from the starkly truthful (“The days are getting longer and drier and hotter, evaporating the last of the water”) to the poetically harrowing (“Staring back at me with broken eyes, like empty stalls at abandoned shopping malls”), giving us a harsh view of the barren wasteland that the world is becoming. Yet, despite the darkness of the words, Preoccupations keep the song light on its toes, gliding forward with a danceable fluidity that’s infectious. By the time of festival season next summer, we’ll all be chanting gaily along to the sing-song refrain “everything tastes like the bitter end.”
Check out “Ricochet” below or find it on your favourite streamer.
Preoccupations’ new album Arrangements arrives on September 9 (pre-order/save). You can find the band on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
