On "Kill Your Darlings," by the Seattle band Jupe Jupe, the band moves us deep into that darkwave undertow of creation itself, a place where the artist's hand wavers over what to keep and what to let pass. The song bristles with life despite its consideration of sacrifice, and it's powered by the band's unique mix of striking post-punk and shadow-lit synth atmospherics.
"Kill Your Darlings" is electricity and texture combined. The song throbs with pulsing bass and tribal percussion, while guitars shine with rhythmic urgency, every note vibrates between tension and release. Frontman My Young sings the lyrics not as proclamations, but as discoveries, transmitted rather than composed, his baritone conveying doubt and determination in equal measure. All around him, Bryan Manzo's guitar and sax lines slice through the haze, Patrick Partington's melodies curl like smoke, and Jarrod Arbini's drumming provides the song with its primal heartbeat.
What's eerie about the way Jupe Jupe presents this soundscape, then, is that it's noir in effect but not barren. It's a haven for introspective listeners, a shelter pitched somewhere between the glow of neon and the chill of the Pacific Northwest evening.
"Kill Your Darlings" isn't another post-punk entry in the canon, it's a meditation on creation, a reminder that beauty often springs forth from what we're willing to destroy. In an era of din, Jupe Jupe offers heartbeat-worthy and defiantly alive music.