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We are all the stars of our own horror film.
You know the movie I’m talking about — the “Don’t go in there!” and “He’s right behind the door!” kind of thing. Except ours don’t involve a knife-wielding maniac. What kills us, mostly in tiny increments, are the choices we make in spite of ourselves.
“Don’t say that to your boss!”
“You know he isn’t right for you!”
“Gas-station sushi? Really?!?!”
Those are the day-to-day horrors Fellow Kinsman examine through their “land-locked surf rock” lens on the song we’re helping them debut today. The inspiration for “Slasher” is right there in the title — or, more accurately, how we react to them as audience members.
“You're yelling at the protagonists through the TV to do the obvious and get away,” project leader Nate Kinsman explained. “But fear sets in, and they don’t commit or run. [They] just hide. So it's inspired by that feeling of choice and refusal. … Do we fear what we’d become or [are we] scared of what's to come?”
Don’t dare me to go in
Soft smile, the truth I’m choking
Are you ready or not?
Your feet froze just the same
Could you give me a spot?
I’m no good at these games
Leave the car running
Who knows what's coming?
Accompanying those lyrics are Fellow Kinsman’s trademark groove, with guitar and keyboards melting together while percussion pounds out a pace that drives the whole thing forward.
Then, when it seems like things might coast to a stop, the track shifts into an entirely new (borderline frantic) gear. The three minutes that come before are solid enough, but the balance of the song is the real star of the show. Whatever darkness was hinted at previously becomes downright blatant, as the pace picks up to give you that distinct feeling of “faceless psycho chasing you through the woods/abandoned summer camp/creaky old house.”
It’s a cinematic experience that just might hint at the full roller coaster to come on the album it calls home, Break Room, which is set for release May 18. Fellow Kinsman will welcome the record to the world with a pair of shows at Cactus Club on May 23, one at 5 p.m. and another at 8:30 p.m.
