“Out of the mouths of babes”, that’s what they say, don’t they, when describing the innocent honesty that only comes from those not old enough to have learned the rules of society, inexperienced in the ways of what is permissible and what not to say. ‘Apocalypse Queen’ sees Wormogenic employing this approach as she grapples with the duality of relationships, the simple truths and complex nature of friendships, especially in their aftermath.
Revisiting lyrics she wrote in middle school, rather than updating them into a more mature musing on the matter, she finds that this sense of innocence provides the song with its (broken) heart.
That sense of not following the rules also permeates the music; rather than being generically aware, observant of demarcations, and adherent to stylistic templates, she merely blends everything she likes the sound of. Everything! Indie-cool dances deftly with grungey grit; synthy sheens cocoon brooding verses; dance grooves carry heavier textures; and a sense of pop awareness, or at least alt-pop awareness, keeps the song on an infectious track. I don’t know how it all works so well, but it does; best not to think about it too much.
As a taste of the Bandaids EP to come, this is all you need to hear, more than enough to make you form up, get in line, join the queue, and pick up the record as soon as is humanly possible.
