It looks like A Portrait of an Ugly Man will be quite a musical leveling up for Remo Drive. The Midwest indie rockers have shared another new song from the album, a tongue-in-cheek number called “Ode to Joy 2”, as well as a music video to go with it. From the sound of it, they’re ready to start wooing new fans over the radio with the track.
“Ode to Joy 2” is the second single we’ve heard from Remo Drive’s upcoming full-length, following “Star Worship”. Whereas that track was an uptempo primer for a return to the sound of their breakout debut, 2017’s Greatest Hits, this new song leans back cooly, taking its time with a slow-burning funk bass line and suave vocals. Come to think of it, “Ode to Joy 2” almost sounds like an Arctic Monkeys ballad.
In a statement, vocalist Erik Paulson explained that he wrote “Ode to Joy 2” to explore the emotional duality of being drunk, particularly the ambivalence of simultaneously loving it and hating it. “The lyrics were inspired by the excess I perceived around me as I transitioned from being a college student into touring full time,” he said. “Most people who’ve done either can confirm that many social interactions are built around having a drink or smoking weed. Once the honeymoon period of exploration was over for me, I became frustrated with the omnipresence of drugs and alcohol and wanted to write about it.”
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In the song’s music video, Paulson can be see leaning out of a car window while it races down a city road in the middle of a snowstorm. Lights flash across his face as they drive along a winding route and snowflakes get caught in his eyelashes. All the while, Paulson is nodding his head to the song’s groovy rhythm section. Considering everyone is supposed to be quarantined right now, this may be a good way to experience the song yourself if you have a car, actually. Watch it below.
