Ducks LTD. - “Grim Symmetry”

There’s something wonderfully elusive about “Grim Symmetry” the latest single from Toronto’s Ducks Ltd. Sure, on the surface, it sounds like another retro-tinged indie-rock jam, but as you dive deeper into the track, you realize just how neatly it balances tension and release—each chord progression feels like it could either resolve or spiral out of control, but it always lands somewhere in between.  

From the opening twin guitar jangle, “Grim Symmetry” immediately conjures comparisons to the golden age of power pop and chiming indie rock of the 1980s, channeling bands like The Chameleons or early R.E.M. There’s that same sense of longing in the vocals, too—frontman Tom McGreevy’s voice hovers just beneath the surface of the melody, delivering the track’s cryptic lyrics with the kind of understated emotion that makes you want to keep listening, even when you’re not quite sure what you’re hearing.  

Lyrically, “Grim Symmetry” wrestles with the cyclical nature of life and relationships, finding beauty in the mundane and the fractured. "Caught in a spiral, I can’t tell if I’m broken or whole," McGreevy sings, and it’s this blend of existential confusion and simple, repetitive hooks that gives the song its power. You’re not necessarily meant to understand the whole thing immediately, but there’s something magnetic about its structure. Sonically, the song propels itself forward with a fluidity that’s deceptively complex. The rhythm section is firmly in lockstep, never letting the track feel too loose, while the guitars weave a tapestry of clean arpeggios and fuzzy power chords that bolster the atmosphere.  

Stream the track below!

You can purchase “Grim Symmetry” via Bandcamp or stream it on your platform of choice. Keep up with the band by following them on Instagram.