Since breaking out in 2008 with their self-recorded and self-released double-album Deathconsciousness, the Connecticut experimental rock group Have A Nice Life, have been hard at work. Having released their sophomore effort The Unnatural World in 2014, as well as continuing to run ENEMIES LIST (a record label and guerrilla art corporation) since their debut, the band have recently released three singles in anticipation of their upcoming record Sea of Worry, ‘Science Beat’ being the most recent.

The track is guided by a lodestar reiterative synth line which drives its way through the first half of the track, until all else falls away

True to form, Have A Nice Life begin by slowly building an atmosphere, foregoing guitar riffs in favour of gentle synth melodies until nearly two minutes in. Even when the guitar is introduced, it is in gentle splashes to accompany the distorted, agitated vocals of singer Dan Barrett. The track is guided by a lodestar reiterative synth line which drives its way through the first half of the track, until all else falls away, pulsing uneasily until a jangling guitar signals the beginning of the second section.

Their production values continue to be a beacon for self-recording artists everywhere

Here, however, the band sell themselves short; their brilliance lays in their capacity for deftly layering instrumentation into walls of frenetic sound, and here the interplaying melodies and muddied vocal, fail to reach a critical mass. Lyrically the track is imbued with a sense of dread, especially as it closes, with an acappella vocal lamenting: ‘All along, I’ve felt an invisible hand guiding my errant heart / I consume and am consumed in part.’ ‘Science Beat’ tries too hard to contrast elements that end up simply clashing, the sudden shift from bright guitars and pulsing drums to echoey self reflection feeling less arresting than it does jarring.

Despite this track’s shortcomings, Have A Nice Life continue to demonstrate what has made them so compelling throughout their now decade long career. Their production values continue to be a beacon for self-recording artists everywhere, and here as on both earlier singles ‘Sea of Worry’ and ‘Lords of Tresserhorn’ their musicianship as well as their devotion to experimentation, are laid bare. Sea of Worry promises to be an interesting listen for post-punk and experimental rock fans, and is due to be released by The Flenser on November 8^th.

‘Science Beat’ is available now via The Flenser