In taking stock of F***** Up's catalog, there's no shortage of intention and deliberation – but that same ambition can make the Toronto's band output inscrutable to the uninitiated. Consider the through line of recurring character David Eliade: When we last checked in, the protagonist frequently found in F***** Up's work, most notably on 2011's David Comes to Life, was adjusting to the tedium of toiling under capitalism and wrestling with his own self-worth. Since then, subsequent singles have caught us up to speed: Thanks to Joyce Tops, a revolutionary, David's undergone a radical reawakening, a sort of reorienting of priorities, a recommitment to life beyond the grind.
As the video for "Accelerate," the latest preview of band's forthcoming double album Dose Your Dreams, opens, it's clear the tone has changed: The wistfulness of "Normal People" has given way to resignation. Between scenes in fluorescent-flooded big box shops and dimly-lit museums, tight shots of cracked screens and erratic clocks hint at possible chaos to come. Live footage of the band is interspersed with motion: Twitchy fingers fumble over a Rubik's cube and click ballpoint pens incessantly, and a fidget spinner circles ceaselessly.
The stakes are high as the track pummels with frenzied fervor. Layers of sound build, creating an out-of-control sensation; the lyrics, the majority of which are unsung, match the track's manic momentum, detailing the relentless pace of modernity ("Now I've lost my keys my phone is ringing off the hook but I can't find it either something on the other end just died of boredom"). In the face of such defeat, destruction can feel like a seductive option, though it might not be the only path forward for David.
Dose Your Dreams comes out Oct. 5 viaMerge Records / Arts & Crafts.
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