Pop rock is a difficult genre in terms of discovering new, genuinely exciting bands. An unfortunate number of bands tend to be not terrible but even worse, completely forgettable. It’s a genre I’ve never been very tuned into for these reasons, which is why I was completely blown away when I discovered Superlove. They take infectious hooks and excitable energy and blend it with chunky, occasionally down-tuned guitar riffs, as well as the odd hyperpop/electronic production splash. With influences that range from The 1975, to Enter Shikari, all the way to Meshuggah, everything they write is impressively coherent. It’s rare a band has such intent and confidence in all the aspects of their creativity.
All of this was proven in their 2020 self-titled EP, a neat, compact collection of bangers that ranged from bubblegum pop rock, to wailing, reverb drenched ballads, to alt metal riffing. It was an expert introduction to such a unique band. Superlove’s new EP but for the moment… is less of a proof of concept, but more of an experiment. According to guitarist/singer Jon Worgan, this EP was a last minute, homemade bit of fun. And, given that base concept, it succeeds massively. It is definitely more all-over-the-place than their self-titled effort, but it expertly sets up a trajectory for where these boys could go in the future.
This EP has much more of an emphasis on production, which is immediately apparent in the intro track “8am (The Start)”. The 1975/George Daniels production sound is all over the intro track, easing us in with layered, autotuned vocals and lush synths before diving into a UK garage sounding drum groove, ending with a sweet saxophone lead. It’s honestly an odd opening for the band, especially since this is their first take on a fully electronic song, but it works beautifully, especially in the way it leads straight into the next track, “The People You’ll Love Forever”.
That infectious saxophone line returns over some jangly, overdriven guitar chords, which are somewhat reminiscent of some later Biffy Clyro hits, but nonetheless hit perfectly in this pop rock banger. The thing that sets apart the group in this song (and generally the whole EP) is that they are not afraid with the pop side of pop rock. While a lot of bands seems to teeter on the edge of truly embracing the sound, maybe fearing they’ll lose their edge, Superlove dive headfirst into the sound because, let’s be honest, pop music is fucking class when it’s done well, and it’s done superbly in this track.
“btw! i adore u” is a highlight of the EP, taking the band to the most extreme sides of their two influences. This track expertly makes its way from djenty, two-step guitar riffs in drop F, to hyperpop verses backed by some drum n bass loops and glitched out textures, to soaring pop punk choruses (courtesy of bassist/vocalist Jacob Rice). It’s by far the most bipolar Superlove have ever sounded, but it works beautifully, not sound like a complete mess like it very easily could have.
“Not Me! Not You!” is another angry anthem, easily the most aggressive in Superlove’s discography. When these guys go for a new sound, they fucking go for it, as not only is this their first foray into screamed vocals, there’s no singing to be found anywhere on the track. They even went as far as to tease a subdued, melodic chorus with some brief, ambient leads, before cutting it off with a “nah, fuck it” and diving right back into the chaos. The octave guitar tones work wonderfully behind the cartoonish riffing, as well as a great guitar solo that has the same atonality and sourness you’d find in one written by Meshuggah. We’re led from this into a remix of “Untouchable” off of the bands self-titled EP. It’s nothing that’s breaking new ground, but it’s a nice listen and further demonstration of how competent the band are as producers as well as writers.
but for the moment… is a wonderful, if brief, experiment from one of the most exciting and energetic bands in the UK right now. While this isn’t as big a statement as the bands previous EP, it does get me much more excited for the future of the band’s sound thanks to some wild ideas and great synth/hyper pop production. Absolutely keep an eye on this band. but for the moment… is available tomorrow via Rude Records, and you can purchase or stream the record here.
8/10