Bad Moons | American Football

A few years ago, I went to see The 1975 play a Finsbury Park headline show and American Football were on the support list. Where were they placed on that support list I hear you ask? Second from bottom. Second from the fucking bottom of the list. Cigarettes After Sex and fucking Bleachers were ahead of them on the lineup. This is not to say I don’t enjoy Bleachers or Cigarettes After Sex (they were pretty boring to be honest) but to me, American Football are a hall of fame band.

LP1 is a phenomenal record. It’s so potent and melancholic that anyone can resonate with it and feel what it is trying to convey. We’ve all grown up and lost friends and fucked it up with the girl we like and had long summers in towns where there is nothing to do and said an offhand “see ya” to people, not realising that that was the last time you were going to see them.

After disbanding, reuniting and sporadically releasing two further albums, they have now announced their follow up to 2019’s LP3.  The new single Bad Moons sees the group at arguably their moodiest and gloomiest. Twinkly guitars underpin much of the track complimenting Mike Kinsella’s frank admissions - “I only feel alive at night, so during the day I cover my eyes”.

Bad Moons builds throughout its runtime of 8ish minutes. The guitars fade and static and noise begin to swallow the track. Kinsella’s list of confessions grows darker and more blunt before everything implodes and the final 3 minutes of this track are taken up by a breakdown that bleeds catharsis. It’s an epic and melancholic way to kick off an album campaign but one that is fitting for midwest emo royalty.

I’m excited to see what direction the group takes on this album. If this track is anything to go by, we’re in for some pretty heartbreaking stuff. The group have also announced a string of tour dates to coincide with LP4’s release . Expect groups of nerdy white boys who can’t look women in the eyes to pack out these venues. And me. I’ll probably be there.