Song of the Day: Mourn - Dark Issues

Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part our Song of the Day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unreleased songs, and recordings from independent artists that our DJs think you should hear. Today’s song, featured on the Midday Show with Cheryl Waters, is “Dark Issues” by Mourn from the 2014 album Mourn on Captured Tracks.

Mourn - Dark Issues (MP3)

Self-described as “four nerds playing music and shit at the doors of hell,” Mourn has awakened the sound of celebrated punk artists like PJ Harvey and Patti Smith with their debut album. Unlike many who flirt with success in the genre, the quartet is a young one — and English isn’t even their first language. The band, based in Barcelona, evolved from the friendship between frontwoman Jazz Rodríguez Bueno, who was inspired by her musician father, and Carla Pérez Vas. Both women are 18, not much younger than Harvey when she started her career. With the help of drummer Antonio Postius and bassist Leia Rodríguez, the teenage group recorded their debut album in just two days.

The Mourn debut features few tracks with relatively playful titles like “Squirrel” and “Your Brain is Made of Candy,” making ”Dark Issues” one of the more somberly titled pieces. The song’s lyrics pierce superficiality with proficient, sincere prose. Melancholic vocals akin to the emotional style of Corin Tucker combined with rapid fire drums that demand attention bolster the song’s weight. This all goes to show that, while young, Mourn rejects naiveté and has the potential to enjoy more than flash-in-the-pan success.

Mourn hasn’t been to the States yet, but hopefully when they finish their gig at hell's gates, they’ll hit Seattle. In the meantime, learn more about the band on Facebook. Watch the video for “Dark Issues” below, which was recorded before the band was picked up by Captured Tracks: