Have You Heard?

Speedy Ortiz - The Graduates

Give Speedy Ortiz wizard gowns, mortarboards and scrolls; ‘The Graduates’ marks their graduation to the big leagues.

4th March 2015

Stoned receptionists and sneaking out of French class for undercover smokes - that’s the order of the day on ‘The Graduates’, the latest song to come ahead of ‘Foil Deer’. Charged with rosey-eyed nostalgia, and filled with strange little snapshot stories - a barely touched cigarette stamped on the floor under a charming globule of spit, a pair of tipsy law school drop-outs quarreling at a bar - Speedy Ortiz capture an odd sort of Romanticism.

On first listen it’s Sadie Dupuis’ meandering narrative that grabs most of the attention, powered forth by noodling guitars, and - once the chorus well and truly kicks in - some fearsome riffery. Like an elaborate High School production, though, there are endless cogs working away in the background; glammy synths with a distinct whiff of Gary Numan, subtle quirks of production at every turn. The result of having more time and flexibility to hone every melody in the studio, ‘The Graduates’ shows a playful, nuanced side to Speedy Ortiz. Give them all mortarboards and scrolls, because ‘Foil Deer’ marks their graduation to the big leagues.

Tags: Reviews, Listen, Speedy Ortiz

#AD

Records, etc at

Speedy Ortiz - Twerp Verse

Speedy Ortiz - Major Arcana (10th Anniversary)

Speedy Ortiz - Real Hair

Speedy Ortiz - Foil Deer

More like this

Books galore!

DIY’s 2024 Reading List

As chosen by a bunch of bookworm DIY regulars, including The Last Dinner Party, Bob Vylan, Big Joanie and more.

6th January 2024

Speedy Ortiz on their new album ‘Rabbit Rabbit’

Interview

Speedy Ortiz: Down The Rabbit Hole

Rooted in long-buried childhood trauma, but buoyed by a band more confident and together than ever, Speedy Ortiz’s newest — ‘Rabbit Rabbit’ — is laying all of Sadie Dupuis’ cards on the table.

14th September 2023