Flitting between genres at a blissfully breakneck pace, Chaperone’s new single PARANOIA is a love letter to pop punk (and basically every other sound in between).
Listeners will know they’re in for a good time within a mere millisecond of Chaperone’s new single PARANOIA. From the get-go, the band enlist a concoction of music’s grooviest instruments, from funk-laden bass to punchy ascendent backing horns, with the resulting track serving as a glorious marriage of jazzy bombast and classic rock n’ roll. So diverse is the band’s sonic palette that PARANOIA switches sounds at a pace that can only be described as blissfully breakneck.
At any given time, the single flits between 90s funk to earwormy pop, with guitar rock and commanding vocals serving as Chaperone’s fine-tuned throughlines. Later, a punchy drum sequence and heavier guitar strums make way for a final chorus, with vocals reminiscent of noisy rock. PARANOIA’s lyrics and title belie what is otherwise an upbeat groove, with vocals singing of “living in a state of paranoia” and anxiety around “goin’ round the bend.”
“It’s a snapshot of how one feels when they know they’ve got to follow a path they’ve chosen in life, despite the warning signs or discouragement of others,” Chaperone said of the single in a press statement. “Basically, it’s an upbeat f*ck you that’s happy to be there [and] frankly, it’s also just a banger.” Given PARANOIA’s impressive credits list, the band’s confidence in their single is ultimately well placed.
The track enlists veteran Australian producer Jim Taig, who has elsewhere worked with the likes of Duran Duran, Rockmelons and Elton John. The pop flair heard with those musicians is undoubtedly at play on PARANOIA, which — while indebted to a range of genres — is ultimately a love letter to pop punk by way of The Great Gatsby soundtrack. PARANOIA serves as the first single released under the band’s new Chaperone moniker, having previously performed as ALPHA GOOSE.
Though they’ve “played it live nearly 100 times,” Chaperone will/have officially debut/ed PARANOIA with a launch party at The Landsdowne Hotel in Sydney on March 30. Elsewhere, the band are set to release a slew of accompanying singles throughout the rest of this year — but in the meantime, you can get grooving with Chaperone’s new single PARANOIA below.
