From the dizzying spin of the Stuttgart underground comes CENTRIFUGE, a band that wears its contradictions like a badge of honour- too melodic for the noise crowd, too jagged for the indie kids, and proudly “too uncool” for everyone trying to keep up with the algorithm. Their debut EP, ‘Daydreams & Breakdowns’, out now via RecordJet, is a compact burst of emotion and swagger- three tracks long, heart-on-sleeve deep, and armed with enough hooks to make your ex cry.
Let’s get this straight: CENTRIFUGE aren’t reinventing the wheel, they’re kicking it loose down a hill and chasing after it drunk on nostalgia and existential dread. Think harmony-drenched guitar lines ripped from Big Star’s attic, choruses that punch like late-era Pixies, and lyrics that balance the sincerity of a journal entry with just enough self-awareness to keep things from getting maudlin.
The EP opens with ‘It’s All Gone’, a track that lives in the gap between collapse and catharsis. Shimmering guitars wrap around a bittersweet vocal, equal parts regret and resilience. It’s a breakup song, sure, but one with its boots on- ready to stumble forward rather than wallow.
Next up is ‘The Spell’, which feels like a dive bar singalong conjured by Marc Bolan’s ghost after too many pints. There’s a theatricality here that’s hard not to love- driving drums, sweeping chords, and lyrics that teeter between romantic delusion and a wink at their own absurdity. CENTRIFUGE know they’re being dramatic. That’s the point.
Closing track ‘Someone Who Loves Me’ slows things down without losing momentum. It’s raw but not reckless, a kind of closing argument for emotional honesty. The harmonies rise like a flare over the EP’s emotional wreckage, hinting at hope without sugarcoating the ache.
What really sets ‘Daydreams & Breakdowns’ apart isn’t just its genre-fluid attitude- somewhere between 70s power pop daydreams and 00s indie tantrums- it’s the way CENTRIFUGE bottle chaos into anthems. These aren’t songs for wallowing. They’re songs for shouting into your steering wheel, for dancing in the kitchen when the night gets too quiet.
This band doesn’t slot easily into the playlists of the terminally hip- and that’s their magic. They’re not chasing trends; they’re chasing feelings. And they’ve caught a few good ones here.
Put this EP on when your heart needs shaking loose and your brain’s stuck on repeat. ‘Daydreams & Breakdowns’ is a messy, melodic, and glorious reminder that sometimes the only way out is through- preferably with the windows down and the volume up.