Jawbreaker Reunion, an upstate New York punk band known for their witty lyrics and infectious pop sounds, unveiled a new track this week. “Your X” begins humbly with the line, “I like it when you say I’m the,” that gets interrupted by the rest of the instrumentation chiming in. The words are forced to linger and the gentle sounds of the guitars place the listener in a temporary interstitial hold. This deliberately paced style is a departure from the more concise and faster tempo songs off their debut album, Lutheran Sisterhood Gun Club. The barrage of lush noise that hits a minute into the track also indicates how the band is expanding sonically. The heaviness of the guitars blends nicely with vocalist Bella Mazzetti’s crooning, “You only say it when you’re drunk / I don’t know where I went wrong.” Mazzetti sheds light on the meaning of the song by explaining: “It is about acknowledging a shitty situation where you aren’t being treated the way you deserve to be, but finding empowerment in that acknowledgment even when you feel unable to act.” This subtle form of empowerment is built up gradually through Mazzetti’s vocals. At the end of the song, the line “You love me when we’re alone” is repeated until it is no longer a sorrowful realization and takes on a second meaning as a powerful accusation.
