New single from Brunette Drive perfectly captures the spirit of teenage years.

 

Every youthful band wants to capture the spirit of tumultuous teenage years. Whether they openly admit it or not, every band has at least once wished they could capture a moment that resonates with the spirits of every angsty, misunderstood or understood teen listener. Few manage to capture that spirit better than Brunette Drive, whose recent single Girlfriend is an ideal ode to the teenage love interests (and subsequent heartbreaks) that define that awkward age.

Yet bizarrely, the song seems to mask this. Opening with guitar riffs and pummeling drums that feel more akin to what might be considered “dad rock” than the excited adrenaline rush that comes with contemporary rock-pop. Though it isn’t long before the band introduce a lead guitar melody that feels very similar to something that Two Door Cinema Club might offer us, bringing in an energised and youthful sound. But that is as far as it goes. Brunette Drive seem reluctant to invest too heavily in the modern sounds that might be here today, gone tomorrow. Instead, they have opted for a more ‘evergreen’ rock-pop sound – it’s in the same vein as the genre’s best anthems from the past three decades.

Regardless of whether the sound is fresh enough or not, the lyricism is what makes the track exceptional. It’s not especially sophisticated, but it’s perfectly fitting with the mentality of teenage years. This is a three-minute burst of teen spirit.