Jon The Guilt - "F.O.R.GI.V.E."

“F.O.R.GI.V.E.” by Jon The Guilt checks all the required boxes for a great indie rock song. The second single from the New York-based artist recalls the inventive stylings of the mid-aughts, where the prominent acts of the day found that sweet spot between post-punk, art rock, and dance-punk. You can find many of the same key ingredients in “F.O.R.GI.V.E.” - frayed and envigorating guitars, a funk flecked bass-line, and a serious toe-tapping groove. The vocals and lyrics definitely have an attitude, as Guilt’s voice wails in the energized chorus, “I can make you disappear / I can make you reappear” and the subsequent call and response-stylized “F-O-R-G-I-V-E.” will keep you on your toes.  The song also retains some of poppier elements found on Guilt’s first single, “Sycophant American,” as it stays slick and breezy throughout, even introducing some synths into the fold before the final chorus. 

Jon The Guilt plans to release an EP later this year, and I’m curious to hear what the rest of his songs sound like.  In comparing his first song, “Sychopant American,” with this one, his sound exists somewhere in the universe of Squeeze, Spoon, and Public Image LTD.  The songs have some grit, but they don’t shy away from danceable beats and are built on a solid pop foundation.