There’s a cognitive dissonance seemingly inherent to New York punks Surfbort and their forthcoming record, Friendship Music. The record’s single “Pretty Little Fucker” is a fast and loose ride of chromatic chord changes and classic dissonant punk energy, with vocals from Dani Miller occasionally dipping from yelling sing-speak into melodic territory, leading one to believe that the choice of Friendship Music as a record title is some ironic inside joke given the track’s aggressive nature. But in dissecting the band’s lyrics, wherein Miller states she “feels so good, no alcohol, no booze” and “can really only get high off of you,” the heart soars for the genuine, authentic affection that informs the song. It’s a fun, fast example of the care at the core of punk music that’s often ignored by wider audiences – a beautiful, twisted pit of love that subverts expectations.
Surfbort will bring their punk-drenched empathy to Baby’s All Right on October 27th for their Friendship Music release party – it’s free if you RSVP ahead of time. Ahead of that, stream “Pretty Little Fucker” below. – Connor McInerney