On their new single Look Up, Sydney five-piece The Future Thrills transport us to the sunlit nostalgia of the 2000s.
The early aughts are receiving a well-deserved resurgence in the public imagination.
Whether it’s the rebirth of bootcut jeans or the popularity of the kind of pop-punk you’d hear in an angsty teen movie, the 2000s provide ample material for current artists to pull from, yet The Future Thrills bring something to the era that’s altogether unique.
Released today (September 7), the Sydney band’s new single Look Up possesses the quality of a time machine, transporting us to the nostalgic times and sunnier tunes of the aughties.
Opening with the fuzzy strums of guitarists Tyler Hocks and Toby Zeuschner, the single initially adopts a punk-ish sound with the assist of the infectiously whiny vocals of Samir Sharma.
There’s something relishable about The Future Thrills’ foray into pop-punk, making expert use of catchy refrains and the punchy drum rolls of Jojo Southwell.
Here, the single might as well comprise the soundtrack of 10 Things I Hate About You, with the kind of punk rock attitude you’d expect from Heath Ledger’s iconic character.
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The Future Thrills commit to this aesthetic without parodying it, which is not to say they’re boxed in by any one genre. Elsewhere on Look Up, the band tread pop territory with catchy singalong melodies and the kind of climactic bridge that makes belting out the final chorus inescapable.
Diversifying its sound even further, the single forefronts lush instrumentation, with grittier indie rock flairs like the screech of an electric guitar and the groove of Lincoln Layt on bass guitar.
For a lesser act, the combination of sounds might’ve felt like a mish-mash, but The Future Thrills pull off the feat with the ease of a band ten years’ their senior. Lyrically, Look Up muses on living in the moment, urging listening to stop “wait[ing] all this time standing in line.”
After envisioning a future where we “turn to dust,” Sharma invites us to find a better way, with mentions of living without regrets and saving one another.
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The Future Thrills made their debut with the 2022 single Everybody Lies, and have since performed at venues from The Lansdowne to The Vanguard.
Look Up will form part of the tracklist of the band’s forthcoming debut EP, which is set for release soon. In the meantime, get caught up with The Future Thrills with their new single Look Up below.
