Single Review: Pop Song

Pop music may be an often maligned art form, but it’s creative ideal is something that to many, holds unattainable allure. It’s this captivation that Tamaki Makaurau post-punk 3-piece Repairs’ channel into their off-kilter new single Pop Song.

The third single leading up to the release of their debut album Repeat Repeat, Pop Song is ”a dark and anxious admission of imposter syndrome.” Opening with dissonant synths that set you in a state of curious discomfort, a thunderous tom-snare drum riff kicks the track into life. The haunting, gritty bass line and equally moody guitars complete a scene of unease, loading you with a sense of impending crisis. Yet, the verse melody sews these rough edges together in a way that gives a sense of relief; the riotous frustration is cooled by its admission.

Be it intentional or not, there is a wonderful looseness to the production that adds to its conceptual aura. Slipping kicks and fills, coupled with the absence of any form of chorus or refrain, the song turns at its midpoint to state it’s claim. “I just wanted to write a pop song,” it repeats until its end.

It packs in a lot for its 2-and-half-minutes, but it almost feels unended, like there is something else to come, something else to be said. However, this is the opening track of the upcoming album, which it seems suited with a prologue-like nature. For all its anxiety-fueled scene setting, there is something strangely inviting about Pop Song. Perhaps that is the authenticity of three people who call themselves friends first, band second, shining brightly through.