Most days, it feels impossible to escape the gravitational pull of the coronavirus. Its tidal force tears all else apart—it overwhelms and devours everything. In the process, it injects its own meaning and purpose into the objects its absorbs. Take, for instance, the new single from post-hardcore sextet Harm. A quick glance through the lyrics would seem to indicate it was written for this moment in history. Its allusions to isolation and crippling anxiety, the references to dusty lungs and the difficulty of drawing one’s breath—all of it feels tied to quarantine and COVID-19.

But darkness and depression have long been fooder for cathartic songwriting. This is especially true of the sort of swelling, guitar-heavy rock that Harm practice. With their towering guitars and emotive crescendos, theirs is a music built for release, for confronting difficult truths and purging painful memories. It’s no surprise, then, to find that “Our Last Song Had a Short Title, But Now We’re Back With a Vengeance” is rooted not in the existential dread of the present crisis, but in something more personal and longstanding.

“I always had this idea that I needed to put on a brave face instead of being a downer,” says frontwoman Billie Joy Cloer. “I always said to myself that there are people that go through way worse, so I must be fine. This put me in a dark spot for a while, because I eventually became very emotionally burnt out. Music has always been a release for me because it’s hard for me to talk about it through other forms, and this song, in particular, is like therapy to me. It served as a way for me to address my self-confidence and issues that I have with self-worth and has allowed me to be vulnerable about those feelings.”

With her emotions on full display, Cloer helps lead her bandmates through one of their more dynamic and explosive efforts. The group has always maintained shades of Thrice’s epic grandeur and here mammoth riffs, anthemic melodies, and atmospheric interludes collide to create a sound that is urgent and transportive. Even at a tidy 3:36, there’s a lot to digest, but it flows together in a way that’s organic and free-flowing.

As we head into May and another month on lockdown passes, we could all use a sense of escape. Harm’s latest may not have been written with the pandemic in mind, but it may just provide the emotional release you need to get through the day.

More Info
Web: harmnoise.com
Bandcamp: harmnoise.bandcamp.com
Facebook: @harmnoise
Instagram: @harmnoise
Twitter: @harmnoise