Cheap Regrets Is the Song of 2020
Forget song of the summer, it’s song of the year.
Replacing a profoundly vulnerable underdog spirit, comes a new confident audacious introspection of both himself and society. Rather than floating on top of the intoxicatingly rhythmic instrumentals on “Cheap Regrets”, lead singer and guitarist Rob Grote’s vocals blend within as he talks about the self obsessed culture of the rich and it’s lack of substance, much akin to James Murphy and any of the great LCD Soundsystem ballads. Rob no longer is talking from the perspective of the outsider in the garage, he approaches the song as a spectator of this culture first hand and can’t help but show his disgust in what the band refers to as a “nihilistic disco”.
While there’s a changing of the guard lyrically, The Districts also break new ground instrumentally. What once was a beautiful cacophony of muddiness and grunge has evolved into something much cleaner, with sharper rough edges that pierce through the sound with gusto, the band has never played so clean yet has still maintained the influence of a couple guys in a garage in Pennsylvania.
The Districts strong suits have always included their song structure, but in “Cheap Regrets”, the band uses their ability to build progressive anthems to its fullest extent. Starting off like a track from a David Fincher film with a synth line straight from the brains of Atticus Ross and Trent Reznor. The bass rips through the mix with a commanding groove to truly begin the track and is perfectly complemented by the pulsating hi-hat and booming snare driven drum pattern. Together they form a sound that I’d more likely expect to hear from a Two Door Cinema Club or Foals record of the last few years, but is a more than welcome surprise to a long term Districts fan.
The band finds a groove and holds it while Rob preaches of his societal issues and observations, before quieting down for a chorus that’s made to start the ignition cycle for the final minute of the song where The Districts turn into a stadium anthem band they had never shown before. A wall of sound is launched at the listener with the lead guitar finally breaking above the bass/drums for a triumphantly nihilistic grand finale filled with bombastically echoey screams from Rob on vocals.
“Cheap Regrets” is an adrenaline and dance inducing track that is a statement song from one of the best bands in America. The Districts never stop improving and are widening their sonic pallet with each new record without losing any quality of musicianship or songwriting. They are perpetually becoming more interesting and are already one of the most exciting live show performances you could find. Even in a year lacking a lot of joy and dancing, “Cheap Regrets” is the track of 2020. A nihilistic disco for an ever growing nihilistic disco of a world.