If you’ve suddenly found yourself spending a lot of time indoors, the introspective rock of Weak Signal is prime listening in the age of social distancing, and new single “Rolex” cuts right through the bullshit of all “necessary" social gatherings we’re thankfully avoiding this month (and likely next month [and the month after that probably]). The detached vocals of frontman Mike Bones parse a late night scene unflinchingly, an interior monologue detailing coked-out conversations and polite laughter, his hushed vox complimentary to a shuffling percussive line, sparse guitars and a walking bass line. This isn’t to say the band can’t make space for noisier segues, specifically during the track’s chorus, but even as electric power chords and budding snares enter the scene, the foggy, unfocused mindset remains, with Bones and bassist Sasha Vine crooning in unison, “yeah I know, without knowing.” Such quiet instrumental qualities and loose-form narratives may remind listeners of Stephen Malkmus’ word-association approach lyricism, or the understated indie of Yo La Tengo — give it a listen below.
