Tuesday 1/26: Nervous Dater—“Middle Child”
Today, we share our thoughts on a new song from the New York emo-punk band Nervous Dater.
Welcome to Endless Scroll, the brainchild of Eli Enis (he/him) and Eric Bennett (they/them). Since Feb. 2019, we’ve been a weekly podcast about music, the internet, and where those two things intersect. Now we’re, also a M-F newsletter about songs. Our format is simple: a link to a song and a short take from each of us about what we think of it. Each day of the week has a corresponding genre: Monday is indie, Tuesday is punk, Wednesday is hip-hop, Thursday is pop, and Friday is misc.
Today, we share our thoughts on a new song from the New York emo-punk band Nervous Dater.
Nervous Dater—“Middle Child”
Eric Bennett:
It’s been a little over three years since we’ve heard from Nervous Dater, which is enough time for me to have gone from expecting new music to forgetting about it. So, imagine my pleasant surprise when I learned we’d be getting a follow-up to their excellent 2017 album, Don’t Be a Stranger. That album feels very special mostly because of the song “Bad Spanish” which soundtracks numerous fond memories. One such memory involved Eli and I drunkenly screaming along to it. Their new single “Middle Child” immediately moves right back to the fiery energy I love them for. The song’s chorus is long and expansive, getting progressively heavier. It’s a huge shift from where it begins; a glowing, slow intro. The hook is one of the best I’ve heard in ages. I truly want the world for this band.
Eli Enis:
I, too, didn’t know if we’d be hearing from Nervous Dater again. Don’t Be A Stranger was a heavy rotation record for me as well, and I think the way it blended various styles of emo—both raw and technical—with fuzzed-out pop-punk remains pretty singular in the era it arrived. I’m super happy that they’re back, and “Middle Child” is a sleek track to return with. There was a raggedness to frontperson Rachel Lightner’s vocal delivery on their past work, but here they reign in some of the shakiness and croon through some smooth harmonies that add a lot to their sound. It’s a little more Swearin’ than Jeff Rosenstock, and I think this refined new direction is a great fit for them.