An emotionally charged upheaval, Similar Kind’s new song “Face to Face” is an indie rock fever dream capturing that intimate inner reckoning when we’re finally alone with our thoughts.
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Stream: “Face to Face” – Similar Kind
Distractions are more than just for fun – they’re an escape. It’s far easier to try to sweep our problems under the rug or deny them entirely than to confront them, especially when we have something else to do – or better yet, someone else to spend our time with. But BAND-AID solutions peel off as quickly as you put them on – and the second we’re no longer occupied, those problems come creeping back in from the periphery. Similar Kind’s new single captures that intimate inner reckoning when we’re finally alone with our thoughts: A sonically and emotionally charged upheaval, “Face to Face” is a vulnerable indie rock fever dream built on pain and passion.
wake up on ur couch, the tv still on
flat purple city looks so pretty
til i realize i’ve gotta go home
peel myself off you, the fog dissipates
and i start to remember
we won’t be together
all of a sudden i’m in the worst state
i’ve been denied and i’ve been shamed
you’re the one person who’s ever listened
the only one who’s made me feel safe
Released April 14 via Factory Underground Records, “Face to Face” is Similar Kind’s spirited first single of 2023 and the band’s first offering following 2022’s sophomore EP, Commercial Break. The Norwalk, Connecticut band comprised of Julia Breen, Benjamin McNamara, Nate Porter, and Miles Dominici, Similar Kind make music that is irresistibly sweet, stunning, and heartbreakingly sentimental.
Akin to (yet definitively distinct from) bands like MisterWives and Johnnyswim, their songs envelop listeners in earworm goodness, while their lyrics stop us dead in our tracks. Whether Julia Breen is singing about infatuation and longing, desire and insecurity, identity and inner tension, Similar Kind have an uncanny way of keeping us humming their tunes long after the music’s over.
The band’s sophomore EP represented a big step forward for them as they proved themselves a powerhouse of pure passion and raw verve: “Soulful and searing, Similar Kind’s Commercial Break is a radiant outpouring of sonic and emotional heat worthy of our time,” Atwood Magazine wrote in a feature published around the EP’s release. “A moving record ready to be the soundtrack to our endless days, our sleepless nights, and everything in-between.”
Coming off that high, “Face to Face” sees Similar Kind return eight months later ready to pack a punch and let off some steam. Inspired by the indie rock sounds of ’00s New York City, Similar Kind’s latest offering is more post-punk revival than it is neo- or pop-soul; churning Strokes-y guitars and dynamic drums soar around Julia Breen’s voice as she emulates a young Karen O, spilling her soul in a visceral confessional. She’s all torn up inside, and she’s hell-bent on us knowing it.
face to face with the pain
i don’t wanna go
please don’t take me home
and you say
“it’s gonna be okay”
i don’t wanna go
please don’t take me home
“This song was written about a time in my life when I would do anything to avoid having to confront what I was actually dealing with,” Breen tells Atwood Magazine. “I was spending all of my time with someone who helped me so much and showed me love like no person ever had. When I would have to leave, I would sob the whole way home, hence the line, ‘sob on the drive back, I’m missing what I’ve lacked.‘”
“The songwriting process for this song was very different from any of our other songs. For starters, Nate brought in the guitar chords. He and Ben actually switched instruments for this track (Ben played bass + Lead guitar & Nate played Rhythm Guitar). Usually, we play songs for months or even years before recording them, but this one was written and recorded all at once. The writing process was unique because we did most of the recording ourselves. Ben did 100% of the engineering and we were kind of pitching ideas back and forth. We worked with our producer Kenny Cash at Factory Underground Studios in Norwalk, CT to bring the song to completion.”
reliving the hard past is why it’s distressing
and so depressing bringing back memories
of hearts made of steel
sob on the drive back, missing what i’ve lacked
cuz i’m always alone, when it’s crowded at home
and i go through again what i went through before
face to face with the pain
i don’t wanna go
please don’t take me home
and he said
“it’s never been that way”
i don’t wanna go
please don’t take me home
When our hearts and minds are consumed in love, we can dismiss everything else – but if we break down the minute we’re alone, and the façade crumbles away entirely, that’s our bodies telling us to take care of some unfinished business. Sure, you can let it linger, but it will destroy you from the inside out, just as it gnaws away at Similar Kind’s narrator throughout “Face to Face.” Escape is, ultimately, impossible – and for anyone who’s going through a similar situation, this song is a stirring reminder that distractions only go so far; eventually, you’ll find yourself face to face with the pain.
In the meantime, we can sure as hell bask in the throes of this enchanting avoidance anthem. Similar Kind’s indie rock turn has us amped up and ready to go, and whether it’s a one-off foray down the post-punk rabbit hole or a sign of things to come, “Face to Face” is a new favorite we’ll be spinning for a long, long time.
used to cope in dangerous ways
now when i want to
all i see is your face
for both our sakes
i hope i can stay strong
with the pain, i don’t wanna go
please don’t take me home
and I say, “it’s never gonna change”
i don’t wanna go
please don’t take me home
and you say, “it’s gonna be okay”
i don’t wanna go
please don’t take me home
indie rock, rock music, rock,
indie pop, synthpop,
New York City inspired post punk revival, Karen O-esque vocals, and the instrumental precession of The Strokes lay the foundation for the track ‘Face to Face.’ It’s a fast paced indie rock song with a slick vocal melody, upbeat groove, buzzing rhythm and a winding lead guitar.
afafaf
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Stream: “Face to Face” – Similar Kind
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© Sam Lockyer art © JP Duffey
© Sam Lockyer
art © JP Duffey
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