On the surface, Punk rock always seems gritty, rough, and unpolished compared to other genres such as Indie or Alternative. However, the sound of punk rock evolved in such dramatic ways that anyone unfamiliar with it will find its wide spectrum satisfying to explore. Forget Us by Microcosms revives the mainstream Psychobilly vibe of bands such as Tiger Army or Horrorpops. The swing of the genre is fully alive within the track, with a great arrangement that not only embraces the past but expands on it.
Forget Us is a track that springs to life from the start. With a bouncy bass groove to ground the song, the guitar is free to embrace a more haunting and mysterious aesthetic. The strong percussion aids the bass in guiding the arrangement, but the amount of freedom each instrument is definitely felt in the chorus. After about a minute, the song embraces its punk rock roots and becomes a mosh-friendly cacophony of thrashing guitars and crashing drums. The swap back to the main hook is flawless and eclectic as it moves back through the track. The vocal performance has echoes of The Strokes’ Julian Casablancas, which makes a fantastic compliment to the instrumentals.
Lyrically the track is “dedicated to the fearmongers.†The chorus reflects this, with lines such as “That all this time you’re pretending to care, worrying about things that were never there†and “To stroke our egos and make us jealous while you stuff your pockets and you try to forget us†painting a very powerful picture of this perception. The wordplay at work here is spot-on and works towards the decidedly complete feeling of the song. This is one of the best parts of the track, as it has the ability to capture this polished and defined sound within such a chaotic genre such as punk. It does this without compromising the grittiness of the genre, which is a treat to the ears.
Microcosms show what they’re made of with Forget Us. The track is as passionate as it is powerful, with a flawless arrangement that proves to be a great ride. There are a meticulous railing and derailing that happens at precisely the right moment within the track that gives it a calculated and chaotic feeling. This preserves its punk rock nature and gives the track a very radio-friendly catchiness to it. Forget Us is a track that will most definitely be on the playlist of any rock fan and perhaps even more if you can get it out of your head with just one listen.
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