Cosmic Punk appeared on my radar while I was attending a show at The Station in February. The 3-piece female-fronted indie rock band made a considerable impression on me that night, so much so that I’ve been eagerly following their music since then. Earlier this month, the Chapel Hill-based band released a new single, “Too Much”. From the very first note, this song sounded like summertime: the fleeting love interests, the feel-good pop melodies, the urge to dance, dance, dance… The upbeat, almost jolly melody of this track sharply juxtaposes the troubled, angst-driven lyrics of conflicted feelings about a love interest. Anyone who has ever been in love, or in lust, understands the back-and-forth internal plight of interest-to-disinterest and back again. This song is an ode to that internal dialogue, to that personal struggle, something to which most people can relate, but rarely communicate.
“Too much” opens with the excited declaration, “last night was so much fun” like one might read in a text message the day after a really good date. As the song progresses, that excitement wears off and transforms into a back-and-forth dialogue cataloging “these feelings you’ll never know.” The contrast between the feel-good melody and the angst-driven lyrics creates a sense of joyful misery. I am reminded, as I write this article, of a band I covered a few years back from Austin, Texas: Gender Infinity. They released a track called “I’m a Stone,” which was, and still is, one of my favorite songs in the songwriting technique of jovial sounds and angsty words. Cosmic Punk has imagined that sound in their own way here, and in so doing, captured the concurrent feelings of joy and anxiety that often occur in the context of dating, or romantic entanglements, or recurring lustful nights.
This band excites me. I am eager for them to release a record. They have a fun and spirited sound that deserves to be heard. I encourage the reader to listen and, if you dare, to attend one of their upcoming shows. Remember: the best way to support your local music scene is to show up.
Photo from Cosmic Punk bandcamp page cover art.
durhambeat 