Stupid Son – Family Dog (2023)
Hitting you between the eyes with their eclectic combination of grunge, post-punk and alternative rock, Irish group Stupid Son sends you reeling in a sonic vortex. I could compare the quartet to nostalgic whiffs of 90s rock drowning in a puddle of Weezer, Nirvana and The Offspring; however, this is hardly a comparison. Memories of yesteryear’s rock sounds certainly ooze from Stupid Son’s melodies but there is an obscure originality to the lads creating an inimitable sound. The latest addition to their discography is the single ‘Family Dog’.
This is my introduction to the DIY outfit and, well, it is interesting – in a good way. Following their well-received single ‘Dylan’s Brain’, ‘Family Dog’ retains the abruptness of the garage rock track but inserts a sliver of indie-pop into the mix. It’s merely a sliver but the lighter, bouncier, brighter tone flutters beneath in its pompous glory. A chink of pop there may be, but ‘Family Dog’ is truly a hard-hitting mishmash of grunge and post-punk wrapped in an alternative rock wrapper.
The second track from Stupid Son’s upcoming EP Comedy, a concept work detailing one sleepless night, ‘Family Dog’ takes the existential crisis moment of insomnia. We’ve all been there, wondering about the great beyond, the meaning of life and its inevitability; it is both depressing and enlightening. Stupid Son captures the light and dark sides of existential exploration in ‘Family Dog’ delicately sifting through confusion, deep-seated vulnerability, fearfulness and melancholic otherworldliness. When speaking about ‘Family Dog’ and its origins, lyricist Conall Loughney explains:
“I had been grappling with mortality for a while; I’d lie awake in bed thinking about how we’re all slowly shuffling off this mortal coil. I spent nights staring at the ceiling obsessed with the inevitability of it…it’s a hard thing to come to terms with. It’s not entirely sad or unhopeful, however, even after you die you’ve left something behind. Your impact on the world, memories of you held by people you cared about…”
Distorted and disconcerting, ‘Family Dog’ uses pounding drums, crashing guitars and rugged vocals offering both a warm and icy glance at those inner thoughts. Recorded and produced at Orc’s Lair Studios with Darragh Hansard, ‘Family Dog’ has a sophisticated flow running through the arrangement; however, a raw grittiness slathers across the rock-influenced tone giving you a kick in the teeth before holding you in a loving embrace.
For more from Stupid Son, check out their Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
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