The Down & Outs - "Jealous // Unreal"

The Down & Outs are one of New York City’s most exciting bands and with each release, they manage to further excite listeners like me. Their brand new single, “Jealous // Unreal,” dropped on Friday and it sounds quite unlike anything they’ve released before, building off of the aggressive edge they showcased on their last single, “Last Party on Duke Street,” and working in more jagged and forceful sonic elements.

The writing and recording process for “Jealous // Unreal” represents a new approach for the duo. Like many artists during the pandemic, guitarist Benji Wason and bassist Ray Young traded demos via email, a new collaborative technique that proved to be quite fruitful for the two. After months of back and forth, they sifted through about 20 demos and decided to track “Jealous // Unreal,” getting the entire thing done in only a day’s time. Like “Last Party On Duke Street,” Young’s vocals are commanding, as is his persistent bass line. The simple dominating lyrical refrain of “so jealous, unreal” hammers the point home, and the band adds flourishes of supplemental backing vocals (including some powerful screams), dramatic cymbal crashes, and bleeding guitars as the track struts along to softer, fade-out ending.

The band also shared a video for the track, which you can stream below!

You can also stream “Jealous // Unreal” via Spotify or Apple Music. Keep up with the band by liking them on Facebook and following them on Instagram.