We need so much of this in the following years, and I’m so serious. “Paranoid” by Topdown is equal parts Loathe and Pierce the Veil, and the Texas-based, fem-fronted band moves with such ease between the sounds, it’s hard not to be captivated by it. In just two-and-a-half minutes, the project makes a great case for the new sound they’re carrying out: “Sludgy, earwormy, seductive magnetism”, as the band puts it.
This song is damn near a Christmas list for me. The vocal performances throughout are beautiful and give the track metric tons of ambience and space. A very characteristic main voice often breaks into screams, joined by backup vocals which offer us a huge sonic and textural range. The lower guitar riffing has that modern ethereal metal sound, while the lead guitar gives us 2010s post hardcore: A perfect matchup for the rest of the track, which is the first single ahead of their upcoming second album The Earth & All Its Pavement. Their trajectory is fascinating, as the sound they explored on earlier debut album hearkens a bit more emo by comparison but is nonetheless essential listening to queue up immediately after their newer stuff. I’m genuinely appalled that this band isn’t bigger: They should be at festivals, opening up for tours, Audiotree, the works, y’know? But if you’ve caught them at this stage, go support them, get your bragging rights, and keep my hope alive that one day they come to Mexico City.
Can I also rave about the cover? I’d seen a trend for cover art to stop including as much texture, text, and any element you couldn’t see on a miniature while skimming a Spotify playlist. It made me so sad to see the industry move to things that are just so nothingburger for “simplicity’s” sake, so in total honesty, seeing bands put out stuff with art that looks like it could actually live on your shelf as an EP or a CD, is another thing from this release I hope permeates all of us.
Take a listen to “Paranoid” below.
Written by Charlotte Lacambra
