Brooklyn’s altopalo return with boldly experimental avant-pop single “Mud”

“Mud” examines the loss of innocence that is all too common when we transition from childhood to adulthood. Atmospheric, idiosyncratic and avant-garde, the track cultivates a ruminative air, a brooding quality radiating from every line. Layered vocals provide the track with texture and depth, and are sung over a bed of minimalist synths that fill the track with warped electronic beats.

Repetitive hooks that dominate the chorus add pop sensibilities that make the track more easily accessible, without sacrificing any of the artistic elements that are becoming a signature for the band. A particularly notable section of “Mud” is the bridge, where unintelligible, obscure vocals dance chaotically over technological tones before switching back to vocalist Rahm Silverglade’s clean and clear sound. That loss of childlike innocence the track touches on feels particularly apparent here, as the abstruse vocals transition into the clearer ones - similar to how life feels more free when you’re younger, then becomes more structured the older you get.

“The song is about the tar pits of the mind,” explains Silverglade. Bassist Jesse Bielenberg adds that the track “distills the space between coping and living”, and feels that anxiety and monotony are glorified as “so much a part of what makes humanity human, and life worth noticing”.