Philadelphia’s Psychic Teens resurrect elements of early post-punk in a way that’s earned them a proper title as revivalists: while their music would fit well on an early 80s goth rock mix, it’s also refreshingly distinct from any of the sources it draws on. Their last record, COME, saw them combining walls of layered noise with sparser arrangements and vocals that evoke Bauhaus in their intensity and rhythm. Following two dark, nuanced LPs and a slew of (evidently ultra-loud) live shows, the Philadelphia trio are preparing to release another full-length, NERVE.
While the lead single from the forthcoming LP, “END”, promised something more melodically driven from the trio—dipping their toes in a sound that’s more psych rock than gothic—“EVERYTHING” expands on Psychic Teens’ still-intact darker side. The song opens with a pooling sense of dread bolstered by the crossing of heavily ringing guitars, and singer Larry Ragone admits to being “too tired to speak now.” Soon the refrain of “Now I feel everything” takes over until it’s been repeated almost enough to elicit numbness. It might be overwhelmingly heavy, but Black Wine’s Miranda Taylor enters to offset Rangone’s growl as the backdrop quiets to just the rumble of the bass. There’s a sense of lifting as she mirrors his words smoothly and lightly, and feeling everything begins to feel like more of a liberty than a burden.
Psychic Teens say of the track, “’EVERYTHING’ is about taking responsibility for what happens in your life and fully realizing your potential. It is partially inspired by events from the first 5 episodes of the anime Neon Genesis Evangelion. Heavy shit.”
You can stream “EVERYTHING” below. NERVE is due out May 13 on SRA Records, and Psychic Teens will be touring the US in the coming months—scroll down for the dates.
Psychic Teens tour dates
April
30 Jersey City, NJ at Iris Records
May
06 Lexington, KY at Green Lantern
07 Chicago, IL at Permanent Records
08 Columbus, OH at The Summit / Cafe Bourbon St
09 Pittsburgh, PA at Gooski’s
10 Buffalo, NY at Mohawk Place with Protomartyr
11 Dover, NH at Crawl Space with Slingshot Dakota
12 Providence, RI at Dusk
13 Syracuse, NY at Wescott Community Center with Multicult
14 Brooklyn, NY at Idio Gallery with Beech Creeps
28 Philadelphia, PA at Johnny Brenda’s (record release show)
June
23 Washington, DC at DC9 with Tone, RLYR
