Post-punk lifers Aggressive Soccer Moms are bursting through the front door once more, but with "Crossroads" their twenty-fourth single. It's with the kind of force that makes it feel like the big one is finally here! A bit quieter in terms of output from the studio after a few years focused on live gigs, the Stockholm trio blasts right back into the studio recording with the same fire they showed before and more.
Taken from their forthcoming tenth album, "Winning is Banal," due May 29, "Crossroads" is solid proof that ASM isn't slowing down, they're just changing lanes. Under a few minutes, the track's tight, bass-driven punch is a well-paced serving. Gone, at least for now, is the guitar-drenched sound that has defined their more recent records. Instead, there's a low thudding bassline that starts it off, a dirty magnet of a backdrop drawing you into a city besieged and brooding and in urgent need of some self-examination.
What makes this return even more fascinating is the group's endless progression. Whereas a lot of artists in their dotage look backward, at this moment, Aggressive Soccer Moms are all in their 60s, and they keep on, you know. "Crossroads" sounds hip and current without shedding the in-your-face DNA of post-punk. It's brooding, it's bold, and it pulses with the kind of lived-in defiance that only comes with decades' worth of experience. "Crossroads" evokes a sense of a band navigating its creative journey, confronting crossroads, turning points, and the decision to reinvent rather than repeat. Following a recent lull in output, this is not just a new single, it is a rebirth.
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