Musically, ‘Guess I’m Stuck In The Dark’ is a spacious, rhythm-driven slice of post-punk with indie undertones. The arrangement gradually builds, with flashes of cold synths adding to its sinister atmosphere. Jojo’s theatrical vocals are particularly captivating, shifting between spoken-word passages, whispers, snarling declarations and more melodic moments with layered harmonies. The hypnotic, chanting refrain becomes increasingly unhinged towards the end, giving the track a wonderfully unsettling edge. It’s danceable too, albeit in that awkward, jerky post-punk fashion.

The accompanying black-and-white video takes things further into the surreal, with insects, animal masks and chaotic camera movements. Jojo’s strange dancing and increasingly frantic behaviour perfectly complement the music’s creeping sense of unease. Dark, theatrical and just a little bit deranged, it’s a compelling return from Heartworms.

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PINS – friends Faith Vern, Lois MacDonald, Kyoko Swan and Abbi Phillips – released their album Girls Like Us in 2013, followed by the acclaimed Wild Nights in 2015, which marked its 10-year anniversary last year, their Bad Thing EP (featuring Iggy Pop) in 2017, and Hot Slick in 2020. In February, they return with If I’m Alive Now, Then I Was Dead, which marks a profound rebirth for the band, signalling a fresh new chapter in their sound. Created as a cathartic exploration of existentialism, the deeply meaningful collection of songs explores the themes of true love and the complex dualities of life and death, with the album’s rebirth-themed title borrowed from a Sylvia Plath poem ‘Love Letter’.

Introducing the album is new single ‘All Over’, which was recorded at Stockport’s Resonance Studios and engineered and mixed by Joel Patchett (King Krule, Let’s Eat Grandma), with the band leaning into a more organic and real approach to the recording process. Opening with poised yet disconcerting guitars, backed by fierce, smoky vocals that build into a chant-like anthemic chorus, the song references PINS early musical influences from the 60s girl-group sound of The Ronettes to the gritty punk of The Stooges. The video inspires a feeling of empowerment and new beginnings as it follows the band on a nocturnal journey through Manchester. 

The band says, “’All Over’ started as a demo about desire. It was one of the most fully formed songs that we had when we started working on our new album. The structure and everything was already there, it was just about getting the sounds down. The energy is driving and it feels a little angular.”

If I’m Alive Now, Then Was I Dead:

1. All Over
2. I’ll Be Yours
3. Rose
4. If We Could Go Back Again
5. Young Love
6. No Tears
7. I Dream Of You
8. Is It True?
9. Do You Still Think Of Me?
10. I Do
11. Watch It Burn

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Musically, Terrible Muriel keep things deliberately sparse. Simple guitar, bass and drums work together around a ploddy indie-rock rhythm, while another characteristically driving bassline provides the strongest hint of the trio’s post-punk roots. Cinta’s conversational vocal keeps everything wonderfully matter-of-fact, making declarations of being too shy to maintain eye contact feel less like anguished confessions and more like an invitation to find your fellow weirdos.

Repetition does much of the work, with thoughts of not being able to go out or go round again circling just like the rumination the song describes. Meanwhile, the repeated ‘introverted weirdo’ chorus has all the makings of a gloriously unlikely live singalong. Funny, simple and painfully relatable, it offers something every awkward soul needs occasionally: solidarity without requiring any actual social interaction.

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A classic driving post-punk bassline forms the backbone, joined by angular guitars, flashes of jangly indie-pop and some lovely guitar harmonics through the middle. Despite that melting pot of sounds, ‘Nothing To Teach’ remains wonderfully loose and unbothered, settling into a bouncing groove and largely staying there. Yaël Dekker delivers the lyrics in a dry, conversational deadpan, with just enough of a sneer to sharpen the edges. Call-and-response moments add to the sermon-like quality before the repeated “you have nothing to teach me” drives the message home.

The accompanying video turns that same independent spirit into a charming DIY scrapbook, piecing together grainy handycam footage from touring, recording and life behind the scenes. Full of candid moments and the band generally goofing around, it feels less like a polished promotional video and more like a celebration of The Klittens simply doing things their own way.

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Musically, ‘Scam Manifesto’ finds M(h)aol firmly in their wonderfully abrasive post-punk element. Scratchy guitars, restless bass and drums lock into a nervy, jittering rhythm beneath Keane’s characteristically deadpan spoken delivery, while occasional industrial clangs make the whole thing feel even more unsettled. There’s no obvious conventional hook; instead, its strange details and tightly wound momentum make it difficult to shake.

The accompanying video takes an equally off-kilter approach, dropping Keane into a karaoke party before a figure wearing a gloriously grotesque handmade costume gatecrashes proceedings. It’s funny, uncomfortable and deliberately strange – a fitting visual companion for a song picking apart the contradictions lurking beneath the surface.

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Built around a disjointed, hypnotic rhythm, ‘Calm Down’ turns information overload into something almost physical. Clattering, clicking and tapping percussion collides with synth sounds and a persistent motorik pulse, creating a sparse yet strangely crowded arrangement that feels distinctly post-punk and carries the experimental character of Frawley’s Berlin surroundings. It’s messy in a way that feels entirely deliberate, becoming increasingly dizzying and uneasy as the track pulls at the listener’s attention from different directions.

Over it all, Frawley remains comparatively detached, her direct spoken-word delivery and distinctive Australian accent cutting cleanly through the surrounding noise. The accompanying lyric video pushes the sensory overload further, placing her words against shifting, hypnotic black-and-white patterns. For a song called ‘Calm Down’, there’s very little about it that actually feels calm — and that’s precisely why its eventual call for stillness makes so much sense.

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While ‘Mighty Crimes’ proudly wears its post-punk influences, it leans into the genre’s colourful, artier side rather than its darker, moodier counterpart. The song bursts with restless energy from the very first note, its infectious momentum matched by Genevieve’s brilliantly expressive vocal. Her performance grows increasingly delightfully unhinged as the narrative unfolds, perfectly balancing sharp humour with genuine emotional tension.

That larger-than-life spirit is reflected beautifully in the accompanying video, where vivid colours and surreal, artful visuals unfold against the striking Australian landscape. Echoing the playful chaos of Thelma & Louise and Quentin Tarantino, it perfectly complements the song’s offbeat charm and dark humour. ‘Mighty Crimes’ doesn’t simply tell a story—it creates a world, and it’s one that’s impossible not to get swept up in.

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Lilly’s impassioned vocal leads the way, initially underpinned by a subtle but driving bassline before post-punk guitars and drums gradually fill the space around her. ‘Instincts’ builds in intensity without ever completely breaking free from its restraint, remaining danceable while carrying a much heavier emotional weight. That sense of suppressed rage and pain comes through particularly strongly in Lilly’s delivery – you can feel everything bubbling beneath the surface, but the explosion never arrives.

The lyric visualiser keeps things equally understated, focusing closely on a face as words appear reflected within the pupil of an eye. Bathed in dark blue-green tones, its intensity perfectly complements a song concerned with everything we feel but refuse to acknowledge.

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Drawing clear inspiration from the atmospheric melancholy of The Cure and Joy Division, ‘Cold-Hearted’ delivers an authentic slice of Berlin’s dark alternative scene. Driving basslines, angular guitars, urgent drums and haunting vocals lock together effortlessly, while Schramm’s atmospheric presence complements Lilly’s voice beautifully, adding another layer to the song’s emotional intensity.

Despite its introspective themes, ‘Cold-Hearted’ pulses with an irresistible momentum that feels tailor-made for a dimly lit club. The accompanying video mirrors that mood perfectly, pairing shadowy visuals with bodies moving together on the dancefloor. Dark, intense and utterly immersive, it’s another compelling glimpse into what promises to be a striking debut album.

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A relentlessly driving bassline immediately locks everything into place, while a hi-hat-heavy drum pattern gives the song an almost insect-like flutter, bringing the band’s unusual description vividly to life. Bright, jagged guitars weave through the arrangement, but it’s Lira Mondal’s wonderfully unpredictable vocal that steals the show. Shifting effortlessly between understated delivery, frantic yelps, shouted lines and piercing cries, her performance injects every moment with personality and restless energy.

‘Accent’ never sits still. It buzzes, twitches and surges forward with exhilarating momentum, capturing everything that makes Sweeping Promises such a compelling force in modern post-punk. Frantic, inventive and endlessly replayable, it’s another thrilling taste of what’s to come from You Say I Romanticize.

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