listen to loveseat pete’s high octane debut single ‘pajama sam’ now. i dare you.
By Anders Dahl
We’ve all seen review after review praising punk song after punk song for having “pop sensibilities.” It’s what’s hot, and for good reason. Bands like Niiice., PUP, and Prince Daddy & the Hyena have been making waves in the punk and emo scene with their incredibly catchy yet absolutely brutal songs featuring depressing lyrics and downright joyful instrumentation. “Pajama Sam” by New Jersey outfit Loveseat Pete is both the culmination and antithesis of this movement, as they seem to have reached the same conclusion via a completely different path.
The raucous nature of this song seems to be trying at all times to burst through a fragile, self imposed, shell of restraint. Warm guitar tone spells over into sassy muted strums and vocals verge on screaming. Feedback lurks. The bass sounds like something out of an early Remo Drive song. Yet somehow it all stays together in a tight, efficient package that does nothing but hum along; guaranteed to get stuck in your head without ever getting old or losing its polish.
Lyrically, this shit’s sad. The song chronicles the narrator’s journey coming to terms with a one sided relationship. Lines like ”I keep staring at the sun but can’t seem to look away” show the narrator’s realization the venture is hurting them while still not being able to come to terms with the knowledge and end their investment, despite being fully aware the other has no interest (“it’s my curtain call you didn’t care for me at all”).
The song closes by tying its contrasting themes together. First, the hushed, cut off, and embarrassed admittance of “I need you” followed by a repeated, almost manic, proclamation of “I want to feel alive again.” Here the lyricist’s anguish is molded into an electrifying conclusion; the emotion of the narration made tangible by the energy of the band.
Because, whichever facet of the track resonates most, it will make you feel more alive than ever before.