Lucius’ upbeat new single can teach new artists a thing or two about convention.

 

Indie-pop outfit Lucius‘ new single is probably one of the best and biggest new tracks you’ve not necessarily heard of. But Born Again Teen is gaining a lot of traction and positive reception, and it’s not difficult to see why.

Aside from the fun-loving and mindlessly wordless chorus, the track emphasises the importance of one of the cornerstones of effective songwriting: the quiet-loud dynamic. This is a concept that stretches to all corners of the musical globe, from Sia‘s Chandelier to Nirvana‘s Smells Like Teen Spirit. It gives songs an added edge to sweep up listeners in the momentum of the dynamic shift, which generally takes place during the chorus for maximum effect. Born Again Teen is no exception.

Over the track’s duration, Lucius constantly disarm with unexpected musical swerves and transitions. The bridge in particular, which breaks down the track in a fit of emotion and distorted synths, shifts the sound before returning to the fun of the chorus.

It’s little nuances of complexity like this that make a good track great, or even spellbinding. Formulaic pop and straightforward songs are horribly overrated, so something which can capture the imagination of listeners and sound absolutely fascinating is always going to go down a treat. It’s a delicate blend of experimental boundary-pushing and pure pop appeal.

You can listen to Born Again Teen below.