No matter how old you are, it's time for your Sadurn return. That's a little astrology joke for you regarding the announcement of The Underworld, the Philly indie-folk band's follow-up to their 2022 debut Radiator. The album emerged from a period of struggle for frontperson G DeGroot during which they physically couldn't sing. "I was having chronic pain, problems with my voice, gut issues," they explain in a press release. "It felt so urgent to try and keep things going, but my body was saying no."
Though the band emerged from the Philly DIY scene, DeGroot sounds like they followed Katie Crutchfield into the NPR Americana zone on lead single "whole thing." There are still flashes of that emo-ish house-show sound in their vocal, and in terms of composition, arrangement, and performance, it could slot comfortably beside Soccer Mommy in the sad-indie pantheon. But mostly I notice the soft twang in their voice and the chord progression behind it, the way it would all feel so right in a neon-lit dive bar. The guitar solo on the bridge is superb, too.
"The whole thing, the whole thing/ Gets wrapped up with a string," DeGroot sings. "Tied to a stone and dropped in." Watch the video below.
TRACKLIST:
01 "the weight"
02 "after we went under the bridge"
03 "never tell me"
04 "can't stop"
05 "mess"
06 "the map"
07 "why does my heart"
08 "whole thing"
09 "only angels"
The Underworld is out 10/16 on Run For Cover. Pre-order it here.
