The light of Sydney indie band The Nagging Doubts has been too long hidden under a bushel. Not the best at self-promotion, they continue to produce some of the most innovative and exciting material around at the moment and their new single ‘Panic Growth’ not only puts on show their musical prowess and songwriting but their ability to create something that is distinctive and fresh in a crowded field.
‘Panic Growth’ was written by their bassist Ruby King and she takes on the lead vocals with a swagger and assurance. She says of the inspiration for the track:
I wrote this to be a cathartic release for my longing and nostalgia for my youth. For the painful reminders of everything you had and what you can’t get back. I often get tricked by my memories because everything seems better in retrospect, and I just wanted to express my longing for my youth again – through the lens of adulthood and dissatisfaction.
The result is a slight deviation form the band’s usual sound but just as breathtakingly audacious with its insistent melodic bass and clattering percussion. King’s vocals are almost spoken, dissociated and distant, cool and haunting. As the song builds up, the guitars become wild and untamed and her voice transforms into an immersive velvet storm. There are hints of Fontaines D.C., Sonic Youth and even Radiohead, a restrained level of chaos that simmers and burns, the pot boiling over into a maelstrom, a high wire act precariously balancing on the edge of collapsing but remaining tight and threatening.
It really is incredible, thrilling stuff and confirms The Nagging Doubts as one of the most exciting if not underrated bands in Australia at the moment.
Out through Scenic Drive Records, ‘Panic Growth’ seems to be only available to stream through the link above. The band is a good as any local bands receiving a lot of attention both in Australia and overseas at the moment – including Radio Free Alice and Chavez Cartel as examples – and The Nagging Doubts deserve the same level of attention.
