It Looks Sad - Kaiju [Single] (Cover Artwork)
Staff Pick

It Looks Sad

Kaiju [Single] (2015)

Tiny Engines


It Looks Sad really impressed me on their self-titled EP last year. "Ocean" was a dramatic, brooding piece of indie music made for loners in the dark, draped in introspection. That's how most of their jams play out. Not to mention, there's a strong comparison to WU LYF's style lingering and one they wear so well. Kaiju reels me back in just when I decided I'm against two-track reviews but only because It Looks Sad continue to show why they may just be the best indie/emo/DIY band you haven't heard yet.

"Creature" picks up right where 2014 left off -- picky, melodic and intricate guitars that fulfil a sense of overcoming. The song builds quietly from tones of defeat to something big and something which would ring loud for fans of bands like The Hotelier, Sorority Noise and Annabel. On that note, yes, you can add these guys to whatever emo-revivalist playlist you've got loaded. While this song picks up the pace a bit more, things are slowed in tempo on "Nagoya" -- much more personal and vulnerable, which feels like their spin on music from American Football, brought to a loud thud around the 1:45 mark.

Both songs crash so neatly into each other, continuing the band's exposition of life and the toll it takes on relationships. I'm even more stoked for their full-length and I really hope it's on this label. They seem to be a perfect fit for the brand of indie-rock that It looks Sad makes and again, put these guys on your radar. They're really worth the hype.