Photo Credit: Chandler Moyer
Dead Poet Society’s new album FISSION will keep the January blues away. With hues of blues, jazz, indie, rock and pop, the band evolves their sound on their latest release. With more grit and darker themes than their 2021 debut album -!-, the US quartet are rivalling the likes of the UK’s Royal Blood and Nothing But Thieves.
Kicking off the album with 5:29:45, the stage is set. Guitarist Jack Collins and bassist Nick Taylor create dirty and gritty riffs that resemble Royal Blood. However, Collins and Taylor’s parts in 5:29:45 add to the sinister feel that singer Jack Underkofler creates with the vocal gymnastics he performs at the end of the chorus. With a lot of control, the band tightly constructs a tune that exuberates millennial and early Gen-Z angst. However, there is no judgement by Dead Poet Society. The song is a rallying cry for those who feel the same way.
However, Running In Circles is the standout track on this album. As one of the singles, Dead Poet Society knew it would be a hit. With catchy hooks, ambitious drum grooves, punchy melodies and a lot of texture in the instrumental sections, this song takes the early to mid-2000s sound of Muse and The White Stripes and blends it with lyrical cynicism to create a crowd-pleaser. With lyrics like “feel like I’m never enough, I say I don’t give a fuck so I keep my shit down low”, the inwards reflection and evaluation of Underkofler is honest and raw. There is ongoing inner turmoil but on the outside, nothing. There is a disconnect between mind and body and like fans, he and the band are also struggling to cope.
Ending the album, Dead Poet Society treat listeners to Black and Gold. Infused with elements of blues, indie and pop, Underkofler’s vocals are silky and he slides between the notes on “burned out.” Collins, Taylor and drummer Will Goodroad go to town with texture on the chorus. They give it their all but also know when to strip back, thus giving weight to Underkofler’s haunting vocals. With quite vivid images coming to mind, the band continue to harness dark themes to explore alienation, growing up and personal struggles. It’s a deeply personal song that is seamless and polished; a remarkable feat for their sophomore effort.
As a second album, FISSION is solid. With a clear progression from -!-, there are a lot of riffs that Collins and Taylor should be proud of. Likewise, Goodroad’s grooves have more dimension and lyrically, Underkofler’s exploration of the challenges of adulthood and sense of one’s self is bleak but realistic. He does not shy away from the complexities of surviving in 2024.
7/10
Standout Tracks: Running In Circles, Uto, KOET
For Fans Of: Nothing But Thieves, Royal Blood, Muse
Written by: Jo Lisney
