Mozes and the Firstborn have been gathering momentum since 2013, releasing a steady stream of tunes and touring the US and Europe with the likes of Burger labelmates together PANGEA. Since their self-titled debut LP, the Dutch four-piece have been building from a swaying garage sound to something bigger and more forward, grounded in the energy of moody 90s alt rock. Their biting last EP was called Power Ranger, and now they’re spinning something a bit darker in both sound and name with a second full-length out in September, Great Pile of Nothing.
The record’s title track would do well soundtracking a high school film from a couple decades back, with its aggressive nod to the nihilism that depression can launch. It hits hard—the band have mastered the clean, flippant feel of a Teenage Fanclub song, but Melle Dielesen’s nonchalant voice only half-conceals the gravity of his lyrics. Simple confessions like “the things I hide / beat me up inside” feel extra weighty against the crush of the guitar. Dielesen calls the new record “a pretty contemplative album,” and it’s clear the group have taken the time to reflect inwardly on this track, in spite of the slacker bent in its sound. You can hear it below.
Great Pile of Nothing is due out September 2 in Europe on TopNotch and September 9 in the US on Burger Records.
