Known for moshing, beerspitting and stagediving during their concerts, Upchuck loves creating an experience. The Atlanta-based garage punk band released its third studio album, “I’m Nice Now,” on Oct. 3. Deceiving in its title, this album doubles down on the raw energy and relentless delivery characteristic of the group’s previous work. Joltingly direct in its sociopolitical commentary, “I’m Nice Now” is an explicit call to action.
“Tired” serves as a fitting opener to the album, boasting captivating vocals and lyrics that can only be described as a cathartic, if not despairing, protest. “What if I told you that we tired of the feds / What if I told you that this sh*t never ends?” lead vocalist Kaila “KT” Thompson sings. Thompson’s powerful delivery reinforces the themes of resistance that carry through the album.
The second track, “Plastic,” benefits from its lyrical imagery and interesting syncopation. Thompson briefly belts about “a cake made of plastic” and a “prize pit,” likening her disillusionment with authority figures to a child’s failed birthday party, showcasing the infantilism and naiveté of trusting systems of power. Drummer and vocalist Chris Salado’s verse ends the song with a powerful punch: “Yo sé lo que tú quieres / Riqueza y más fama,” accusing wealth and fame of corrupting society. This verse culminates in a grating scream, embodying the track’s desperate and passionate feelings of resistance.
“New Case,” a weak point of the album, fails due to its awkward vocal delivery, which its hyper-repetitive melody underscores. Discussing frustrations with a previous relationship, Thompson sings, “But don’t forget who helped you get that throne” and “Man, you’re full of sh*t.” She practically wails at the end of each verse, singing, “Ain’t you glad to be home” in a rage-pained tone that contrasts against the band’s attempt at a more melodic track.
“Fried” comes next, a high-energy track with strong vocals and a creative composition that more than makes up for what “New Case” lacks. Thompson’s palpable anger reveals itself as she screams, “Are you even gonna f*ckin’ listen this time?” An electric guitar screeches, and the tempo accelerates under the rasp of Thompson’s voice, building a confrontational energy that the subsequent track harnesses.
The fifth track, “Homenaje,” is one of the album’s highlights. Salado’s opening lines evoke familiar teenage angst: “Tú no me vas a decir lo que yo / Tengo que ver con mi vida, no no,” an aimless warning to those in power to stay out of his life. During the rest of the track, however, Salado expresses his frustration with relevant sociopolitical issues in a refreshingly direct way. His verses encapsulate his discontent with an intergenerational lack of understanding and expectations for younger people to conform to established norms. While the instrumentation of the track shifts rapidly from an intensely grating guitar to slow drumming and a repetitive bass line, Salado commands the listener’s complete focus as confidence and force shape his voice.
Salado ends this segment addressing the listener directly: “¡Levántate! / ¡Despiértate!,” Salado speaks, demanding the listener to wake up, reject learned obedience and develop an individual voice. Salado yells on the last line, his voice dying out, when an accelerating instrumental that spills into the track’s powerful ending lines picks it up, reinforcing the message’s urgency. “Dime por qué no hay justicia” and “Dime por qué no sale en las noticias,” Salado screams, demanding justice and visibility.
“Forgotten Token,” another standout track, offers commentary on the widespread exclusion of Black people from the historical archive. “I just feel ’cause I’m Black / It gets stacked in a lost closet / Forgotten token,” Thompson sings. The track also recognizes the importance of highlighting Black voices in the present day. “Make a choice, leave a voice for our own brothers,” Thompson sings rhythmically to a driving instrumental. Toward the middle of the song, the near-isolation of her belted vocals highlights her uniquely powerful tone and reinforces the song’s important message.
Although political and social justice serve as key themes throughout the album, some tracks touch on more personal topics, such as “Pressure” and “Slow Down.” “Pressure” struggles with living up to high familial expectations and standards of achievement. Accompanied by a catchy, if not repetitive, guitar-heavy instrumental, Thompson sings, “And there's no better heat, then whether you live up to your folk.”
“Slow Down” features a pleasantly melodic instrumental and some of Thompson’s strongest lyricism, exploring feelings of personal dissatisfaction and the constant need to overachieve. “Hear a voice sayin', ‘Have I done enough in this life?’” Thompson screams, her restlessness an unending cycle. She repeats, “But now that I'm here, it seems so unclear / D*mn, I need a new plan of action,” highlighting her insatiable, but ultimately unsatisfactory, need to achieve greatness.
“Nowhere” concludes the record. A radical departure from the album's predominant themes, this song takes the form of an intense love song. Thompson sings beautifully, her voice soaring over a raging electric guitar as she belts the chorus. “All I know is / That I will follow you to nowhere / Climbing past these traps to your heart,” Thompson sings. The track peaks in energy, culminating in a shameless declaration of love: “Can’t find time to grasp what I want / But I know it’s you.” By redirecting their reckless energy to create a powerful love song, Upchuck concludes their album with easily one of their best tracks.
Raw, captivating and power-driven, “I’m Nice Now” reflects on current global realities as Upchuck exemplifies the need to address modern sociopolitical issues with greater urgency than ever before. Through their lyrics and voices, we are not asked, but demanded, to act.
