Preoccupations - Degraded

‘Anxiety’, the first taste of Preoccupations’ second era under their new name, was a gloomy plunge into a new kind of world for the Canadians, and pointed at extremely bright things.

‘Degraded’ takes this to the next level - it’s a spiky cut that sees Matt Flegel go more than a little bit Paul Banks of Interpol. The track’s insatiable first verse lets loose into a barrage of fighting guitars and synths - it’s the band at their most aggressive.

Where ‘Anxiety’ swayed rather than crashed - ‘Degraded’ sees Preoccupations hit hard, and ramp up the excitement for their debut.