Last year, Chicago noise rock/post-punk trio Stuck put out a sophomore album, Freak Frequency, that I am on-record as very much enjoying a whole bunch. Next month, the band are embarking on their first-ever UK & EU tour. To mark the occasion, they’ve shared a new two-part AA-side single, “Deep Tunnel” and “AITA?”
If you’ve listened to Freak Frequency, the sound of these two songs will already be somewhat familiar to you, although “Deep Tunnel” leans more into the serrated and darkly-noisy end of the record. Minor-key chords, a constant rising sense of dread, and several moments where the music sounds like it’s crashed headfirst into a brick wall. “AITA?” flows in from the screeching feedback of its sibling track with a lolloping gait as vocalist Greg Obis embodies every caricature of That Reddit Guy with gleeful mischief, before the song abruptly cuts out. Whilst akin to Freak Frequency, neither song feels like a castoff from those sessions. Both have an urgency and nagging sensation which sticks with you.
Obis shared a statement on the meaning of “Deep Tunnel:”
“The song was inspired by a news article about Chicago’s strained Deep Tunnel Project, a system of reservoirs conceived in the 1960’s to alleviate flooding. The city is, after all, built on a swamp. Rainfall in recent summers has overwhelmed the system, leading to the flooding of homes across Chicagoland and spilling sewage out into Lake Michigan.”
You can stream the two tracks below:
And, as mentioned up top, the band are on tour next month. I bet these shows will be a lot of fun, if the records are anything to go by. Check out the dates below and purchase tickets here.
Thu. April 4 – Merleyn, Nijmegen (NL)*
Fri. April 5 – Vera, Groningen (NL)*
Sat. April 6 – OCCII, Amsterdam (NL)*
Sun. April 7 – Farrm, Hasselt (NL)
Tue. April 9 – The New Cross, London (UK)
Wed. April 10 – Peer Hat, Manchester (UK)
Thu. April 11 – Lubber Fiend, Newcastle (UK)
Fri. April 12 – Magbate, Leeds (UK)
Sat. April 13 – Nottingham @ The Old Cold Store
Sun. April 14 – Rough Trade, Bristol (UK)
Tue. April 16 – Supersonic, Paris (FR)
Wed. April 17 – Le Trokson, Lyon (FR)
Thu. April 18 – Gaswerk, Winterthur (CH)
Fri. April 19 – Horst Klub, Kreuzlingen (CH)
Sat. April 20 – Il Fantasma Dei Briganti, Roccasparvera (IT)
Sun. April 21 – Freakout, Bologna (IT)
Wed. April 23 – Chanel Zero, Ljubljana (AT)
Thur. April 24 – Pink Whale, Bratislava (SK)
Thu. April 25 – Kapu, Linz (AT)
Fri. April 26 – X Berg, Halle (DE)
Sat. April – 27 – Schokoladen, Berlin (DE)
*w/ Dead Finks
“Deep Tunnel b/w AITA?” is available now.
