Perfect Vibes from the Latest EMPiRE

/ Homicidol Maniac

“Oh gee look at all of these draft posts to try to address this morning” I said to myself as I flipped over to Twitter about 15 seconds after this hit the top of the timeline:

Plans? Canceled. Other than a very quick crash course from Kerrie and Cal, I’d managed to avoid just about everything WACK in the past few weeks — by choice, mind you — but this aesthetic, coming from EMPiRE, clearly an MV, subtler reasons galore, you follow me yes of course I shunted my other plans aside and gleefully steepled my fingers in anticipation.

This is from EMPiRE’s upcoming new EP SUPER COOL EP (bless them), and it might not be my favorite song or video by any means, but I’ll be damned if it doesn’t hit in exactly the right spot at the right time:

Who doesn’t want to be going completely baller (complete with guns and guitars and dancing with your friends!) at the peak of summer in the middle of a global pandemic and rapidly deteriorating international economy? And that’s just the visual! The tune’s on point, too, though I’d have preferred a little bit more of a declarative city pop vibe over the actually-fairly-WACK dancecore thing going on — yes, it fits, but could it fit better? also yes — plus lyrics with all the nuance of a pre-teen’s home video definitely-not-a-ripoff-of-Roundhouse variety show give it just *chef’s kiss*.

EMPIRE’s always at their best when they’re taking the piss out of whatever it is they’re doing. They’re WACK’s “serious” group in that they have neither the legacy nor the expectations associated with the whole punk idol thing, but this is the group that debuted in weird ritual hoods and had a (amazing) MV about being punished by an anthropomorphic butt, etc. and on and on. Like, here the tune is fun on its own, the lyrics are silly and the video straddles that perfect line between parody and tribute, thereby making it at least twice as respectful of human life as 2020 has otherwise shown itself to be hey-o!

Anyway, this is good. The record is out Aug. 5 but I’m pretty sure you can listen to it like right this minute.