Last updated: 11 hours ago
Rewind as you might, but your ears didn’t deceive you: there is an Ed Sheeran reference in a Discus song. The lyrics of “On Tour” reveal the narrator to be a projected, mid-interview version of the English popstar himself – but here, he’s cast as a celebrity haunted by his own ubiquity: “In love with the shape of you / That was such a major tune — but it’s hard to escape.”
It’s an unexpected premise to hang Discus’ breezy indie rock on, but in many ways it’s a proof of concept for To Relate To, the Chicago quintet’s sophomore LP. Borne from the recognition that almost any moment can serve as a touchstone for understanding, the record is a collection of exercises harnessing the band’s dauntless curiosity to uncover a means of connection in unlikely places. The more far-flung the character study, the more hard-won the truth at its center — and the greater chance of catching one’s own reflection unawares.
Discus grew out of a long-kept creative partnership between Jake and Paul Stolz, who share ranks in a handful of other projects – namely Pool Holograph, Varsity, and Central Heat Exchange. As Discus, they render immaculately considered musical worlds – reminiscent of golden-era oughts indie of The Radio Dept, Broadcast, and American Analog Set – and upset their balance with calculated moments of unease. After all: projection is tricky work, memories are unreliable — the simulation tends to flicker – and thus Discus’ dreamlike atmospheres are always bordered with the uncanny.
It’s an unexpected premise to hang Discus’ breezy indie rock on, but in many ways it’s a proof of concept for To Relate To, the Chicago quintet’s sophomore LP. Borne from the recognition that almost any moment can serve as a touchstone for understanding, the record is a collection of exercises harnessing the band’s dauntless curiosity to uncover a means of connection in unlikely places. The more far-flung the character study, the more hard-won the truth at its center — and the greater chance of catching one’s own reflection unawares.
Discus grew out of a long-kept creative partnership between Jake and Paul Stolz, who share ranks in a handful of other projects – namely Pool Holograph, Varsity, and Central Heat Exchange. As Discus, they render immaculately considered musical worlds – reminiscent of golden-era oughts indie of The Radio Dept, Broadcast, and American Analog Set – and upset their balance with calculated moments of unease. After all: projection is tricky work, memories are unreliable — the simulation tends to flicker – and thus Discus’ dreamlike atmospheres are always bordered with the uncanny.
Monthly Listeners
497
Monthly Listeners History
Track the evolution of monthly listeners over the last 28 days.
Followers
763
Followers History
Track the evolution of followers over the last 28 days.