CATBEAR breaks the cycle of social anxiety in “Who Cares?” [Review]

 Brighton-based alt-pop duo CATBEAR open their year with a fluorescent burst of energy on their latest song, "Who Cares?," which explodes like a confetti cannon of indie memories and inner anxiety. Best friends Zoe and Sarah, known for combining sparkling synths with raw feels, present a track that runs the gamut between dance energy and introspective depth. "Who Cares?" was written, recorded, and produced in Zoe's home studio and bears all the hallmarks of CATBEAR's DIY excellence. It's a sparkly knotted mushroom cloud of '80s synths, '90s attitude, and early 2000s indie coal, but it's also not just fun recollections. Underneath the snappy pulse beats an anxious heartbeat, an all-too-relatable one in today's overstimulated, always-performing social infrastructure.

Zoe dubs the track "that quiet panic, quiet panic before you've even left the house." The song's shimmering tempo, punchy production, and gasp-baiting hook defy you from dancing while its message murmurs something more grounded. With a sound that's part cinematic, part intimate, CATBEAR encases self-doubt in neon lights and guitar fuzz. The result is a song that's just as at home on a festival stage as in your headphones while you psych yourself up for a night on the town.

Restless energy runs through the song but doesn't spiral into chaos. CATBEAR focuses and channels it into something cathartic. It's a self-empowerment anthem for the socially anxious, the overthinkers, the wallflowers who still want to bloom. And it does all that without ever losing its spark. Their inaugural release of the year, "Who Cares?," is a promising harbinger of future things. On their latest release, CATBEAR demonstrates that they're not simply resurrecting the retro pop sound but transforming it into something strikingly unique and stunning.

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