Pseudopomp, London-based alt-rock duo are back with their creeping, subversive second single “Only Just,” a song that explores the tangled, maddening reality of loving someone when the stars just won’t line up. The band, featuring Greek musician Iosif and British-Bulgarian artist Katerina, has been turning heads with their spine-tingling yet beguiling sound, and their latest offering is yet another addition to their patented mix of phantasmagorical alt-rock and twisted narratives.
Already standing out with their debut single, “23,” Pseudopomp continues to carve out a sound, blending unsettling melodies with raw emotion. “Only Just” is not your garden-variety love song. It’s an anti-love anthem describing the dizzying push-and-pull of a scuttled romance. Mounting tension comes in ghostly guitar riffs and off-kilter rhythms, reaching a turning point at 2:28 when fragile piano notes represent a bittersweet moment of realization: Not every love is meant to last before it even starts.
“Only Just” is the work of after-dark jam sessions that give rise to the duo’s creative synergy, a sound that feels both improvised and precisely engineered. Produced by Ben “Faz” Farestvedt, “Only Just” highlights Pseudopomp’s knack for making rejection sound appetizing, a balance between beauty and discomfort.
Having just played a series of low-key acoustic shows across London, Pseudopomp is ready to deliver their full-band sound, prepared for the stage, and show that they are more than just a band with an aesthetic. As they blend melancholy and melody, “Only Just” solidifies their position as one of the most compelling rising acts in the underground indie.