Teen Suicide – Nude Descending Staircase Headless

I’m no stranger to hyperbolic press releases, but the assertion that “Teen Suicide have created one of the most unique, dense, and impactful catalogues in modern indie rock” caused my jaw to drop. While the nomadic and ever-changing band has its devotees, I see them more as legends in their own subreddit than as a force shaping the cultural zeitgeist.

Of course, there is a tendency among the chronically online to inflate the wider importance of Internet-based phenomena, but to Teen Suicide’s credit, Nude Descending Staircase Headless is at least an attempt to move forward as a more traditional studio project. Nude Descending… is cleaner, crisper, and more conventional—whether that’s a positive or a negative will invariably hinge on how wedded you are to Teen Suicide’s ramshackle bedroom indie rock aesthetic of old. From my perspective, it’s a clear improvement; a mature refinement of a predominantly adolescent sound that was sounding increasingly played out.

“Idiot” and “Spiders” are immediate standouts, both serving as masterclasses in the interplay between sludgy, cacophonous guitars and glistening, atmospheric arpeggios, as Sam and Kitty Ray navigate the shifting dynamics with an accomplished swagger. Elsewhere, the sprawling opener “Anhedonia” incorporates heavy shoegaze textures, while “Suffering (Mike’s Way)” serves up accessible synth-tinged indie rock.

Nude Descending… doesn’t always stick the landing. “Everything in my life is perfect” meanders aimlessly for five minutes, and by the time the final three tracks come around, it feels like Teen Suicide are recycling ideas that are executed much more effectively in the first half of this ultimately lopsided record.

The studio is the right move for Teen Suicide, and the chemistry between Sam and Kitty Ray is evident throughout. Consistency remains a problem, but when Nude Descending… clicks, Teen Suicide sound more convincing than they have in years.

Nude Descending Staircase Headless is out now via Run For Cover.