SENSE MEMORY: In the 7th grade, a few of the boys at school got into stealing their dads’ cologne, and suddenly a bunch of weird greasy kids were now also weird greasy kids covered in Polo and Ck One. We probably thought this would make us seem older, or cooler, but the chemical mist just made some awkward adolescents smell even more awkward.
“Polyester,” the new single from Aussie punk singer Mitch Tolman — and his “coming out” as 3NDLES5 — is sort of like the cologne experiment if it had actually worked. Tolman goes big on the fragrance, spraying off big moody synths and drum machines (via an assist from producer WRX) for a kind of fantasy fog-machine romantic-retro electronica that could only be made in 2017. The vocal delivery is kicked somewhere between deathrock and “lad,” and Mitch sings about dancing as if watching the floor pop off from down the hallway — it is the embodiment of looking at yourself in the mirror before going out and scrutinizing which of your three jerseys looks the best. You ever felt sweaty in a polyester shirt? Same. (Gotta look sharp in the club, bruv.)
Anyway, it’s really good, stream it right here. 3NDLES5’s debut full length will be available in spring 2017 from Burning Rose.
