Will Shenton
As an avowed hypochondriac myself, the latest single from Brooklyn post-punk outfit Groupie resonated with me from the start. "Surfing WebMD / Worried 'bout disease / Can't tell if I'm sick / 'Cause I'm drowning in anxiety," frontwomen Johanna Kenney and Ashley Kossakowski declare in the chorus, recounting a scene that's all too familiar for the modern neurotic.
Backed by punchy guitars, upbeat percussion, and blunt vocals, though, there's something empowering and endearing about "Hypochondria"—rather than wallowing in anxious misery, Groupie turns it into a self-deprecating punchline. "Should probably just stay inside / And never leave my room again," they suggest, but by the time the guitar solo kicks in, the track has taken on such a defiant air that the specter of illness doesn't seem quite so scary. It's a brilliant song that's at once sympathetic and brash.
The cassette re-issue of Groupie's debut EP will be released May 12 on Fluorescent Thought. Catch them that night at Silent Barn in Brooklyn with Izzy True, Painted Zeros, and Crusher.