In this unpredictably turbulent world, it’s nice to have something for which to be hopeful. Misery Club’s debut EP, Club Misery, is finally here and warmly welcomed. Recorded, mixed, and mastered by Jake Clarke, the beautifully esoteric project is an exciting endeavor for the new group.
Each song is distinct in mood, instrumentals, and lyrical composition. Foxwedding and nedarb add quaint, masterful touches to their respective tracks while maintaining the group’s wistful aura. Pleasing to hear but emotionally loaded, the four-track collaboration is one of few that gives equal “stage time” to its vocalists (wicca phase, lil zubin, Fantasy Camp, Jon Simmons). A lovely blend of unique minds, Club Misery delivers unique verses for each singer’s experience with a song’s theme.
“River of Blood” digs deeps to claim its place as the EP’s first track. Ethereal sadness hovers over its entirety, marked by distorted chimes that open our eyes to the world on which Misery Club lives. Perhaps an allusion to or inspired by the River Styx, one can picture the lonely skeleton slowly paddling himself down the inky waters. Zubin’s hook, “the closer I get to death, the more I feel alive” is an enigmatic loop that those who suffer from addiction or varying levels of depression will understand.
We’ve gone more in depth on the melancholic beauty of “Left Side” here. Listening to it again between two new tracks, however, was a different experience. It felt like a relief, as though releasing the tension Misery Club built up in the previous song. The paranoia and pain from “River of Blood” dissolves into a simpler sorrow. “Left Side” also serves as a cushion for the upcoming track; a limbo between good times and bad. A fan favorite, we now understand why “Left Side” was chosen to be the glimpse into the EP.
It’s hard not to feel the hopeful glow emanating from “Bad Mood.” A cozy concoction, the song reminds us that negative energy is contagious. With the promise to “never leave you in a bad mood”, Simmons puts forth a love-spurned devotion. It’s bittersweet, however. Wicca phase reminds us at that “sometimes… it’s too hard to relate… saw a soft light but it went out though.” Not every energy is compatible, and that’s ok. Rather than leave off in a bad mood, sometimes it’s best to let go and move on.
If you’re left floating in murky waters, the only thing you desire is a reliable “Lifesaver.” That’s how the final track of Club Misery feels; constantly drifting away from outreached fingertips. Melodic white noise is the fog that encapsulates poetically destructive lyrics. Fantasy Camp sums up the infinite search for safety well: “I see you in a vision and you slowly start to cry, I’m going far away now and I’ll always wonder why”. Maybe it’s a reach to continue to allude to the Styx, but it certainly makes sense here. Drifting down a river that only flows towards death, perhaps holding out for a lifesaver is pointless.
Club Misery is an excellent example of varying artistic talent coming together in harmonious distress to create refined, although grim, new music. With burgeoning support from multiple fan bases, steadfast dedication to art, and a rare symbiotic blend from a six-member group, Misery Club is just getting started. Listen to the full EP below.