Sandrider

Sandrider Throw A Rager on "Creep"

Sandrider

There are two ways to not give a fuck. The first comes from a lack of commitment, where ideas die on the vine before being executed with the right degree of care and intention. The second comes from an overabundance of confidence. Sandrider, the self-proclaimed “best band in the universe,” fall squarely in the latter camp. The Seattle trio earn their devil-may-care attitude through sheer charisma. On “Creep,” the first single from their upcoming album Armada, Sandrider harness that charisma into the kind of energy that could turn a friendly get together into an absolute rager.

“Creep” is essentially a two-part song. Converse to the highly formalized manner of prog, the closest this song gets to the ivory tower of rock music is when it’s pissing on its dumpster, but there is a noticeable change in emotional tone halfway through the track. The first half is all downhill aggression. Powered by Nat Damm’s insistent drumming and topped by a reckless vocal performance by guitarist Jon Weisnewski, Sandrider begin “Creep” on the border between hard rock and something much meaner. The band’s tones are dialed into the kind of paint-peeling acidity that shows up in noise rock, even when their writing hews closer to more traditional barroom fair.

This sonic edge becomes even more pronounced when they switch tactics in the song’s second half. Here they forsake the teeth-grinding aggression for a surprisingly sunny disposition. If the band starts the party in the opening of the song, this change of pace is the moment when some dude throws his arm around you and tells how much he really, really loves you.

That’s the secret benefit to not giving a fuck; not only does it give you room to throw the world the bird, but it frees you to embrace sentimentality without being cloying or corny.

Armada comes out via Good To Die on July 20th. Follow Sandrider on Facebook