Premiere: Destructo Disk Brave An Emotional Void On “I Look Up And See You”
Break-ups of any kind are turbulent. Romantic or platonic, they leave a void behind, a space that was once filled with love, companionship, and shared experiences. Dealing with that bitter chasm is what makes closure such an impossible feat. Ignore the void and it only grows deeper within you. Try to fill it up and you’ll find it’s innately insatiable. Confront it and it just might consume you. There’s no easy answer except to give it time, but that process itself can be equally damaging as it only increases the risk of falling into any of the aforementioned traps. It’s a destructive balancing act, but one a band like Destructo Disk is cunning enough to tackle on their newest single, “I Look Up And See You.” Out everywhere on Friday, June 16th, The Auricular is thrilled to offer an exclusive premiere of this poignant punk anthem below as well as a look into all of the intricated balancing acts at play.
Penetrating and perceptive, “I Look Up And See You” is an honest portrayal of emotional recovery that shows both progress and regression, matching them with chugging punk music that tows the aching soul to a steady destination. It’s a long trek, of course, one the band soundtracks with dynamic energy from the instruments as they attempt their own delicate balance of melody, riff, and groove. The band finds that balance far easier to maintain than the song’s lyrical observations do, but those honest reflections and admissions shine through with intense vocals that are both raw and refined like a honed blade extracting and enhancing at the same time.
In the song, the lyrics set the stage against a deliberative, fuzzy guitar strum. “It’s Halloween again/ My plans fell through/ Roommate’s out of town/ But I still think about you” he sings before landing on tonight’s triggering event: the placement of the classical song “Clair de lune” in a movie. That movie was supposed to be the escape for the evening, the comfort that the plans or roommates should have provided. Instead, all it does is immediately bring to mind what’s missing and spurs a fictionalized conversation between two former companions that kicks the song into the next gear. The guitar retains its deliberate strum through the shift, albeit with a sharper distortion, while the rhythm section enters the song with almost reluctant force as if to subtly ask, “Is this really good for our recovery?” Of course, the answer is no, but the song moves on with a hesitant drumbeat that tempers the rest of the throbbing sounds.
All of this is done in a new sonic space for the band, or new at least for fans who were introduced to the band via their 2022 record Bad Gravity. Described as a “liminal space punk rock opera,” that record featured a resolute punk rock sound that still contained layers and subtleties, but was far grittier and punchier in sound, even in its more reserved moments like on “Moon Gloom” and “Liminal Space.” Bad Gravity helped establish Gideon Kupka, Molly Gordon, and Danny Roff as a premiere act in the local punk scene as well as the rest of Richmond’s vibrant musical community. With “I Look Up And See You” though, the band has cemented that status with a sound that pushes beyond gritty punk into emotional resonance, finding a balance between classic emo, modern punk, and mercurial indie that only adds to the balancing acts already coming from the instruments and lyrics.
In the end though, it becomes clear that this is no act for Destructo Disk – this balance is key to their sound and one they wield so skillfully that any perceptible dip in one direction is not only deliberate but essential to their musical vision and identity. “I Look Up And See You” is a heavyweight song from a heavyweight band with musical power fans are only just beginning to understand. Despite that though, its full power is instantly felt thanks to crafty and passionate songs like this, songs that provide the very comfort we need when dealing with that boundless void.
”I Look Up And See You” comes out Friday, June 16th on all streaming platforms, most notably Bandcamp where the band will also be releasing an exclusive B-Side.
You can catch Destructo Disk in concert next at The Camel on Friday, June 23rd with support from Lobby Boy, Rex Tycoon, and Earfthgirl. Tickets are $15 and you can find out more information by clicking this link or looking at the show flyer below.
