With their latest single, Don’t Want Me, the Sydney-based 4-piece alt-rock pioneers 51st Avenue contend with heavy emotion through even heavier instrumentals. Their sound carries familiar elements of electronic pop, trap and post-rock, but 51st Avenue delivers them in a distinctive enough way that their sheer authenticity will blow you away just as much as the sound itself.
Soft and succinct verses with delicate female pop vocals are followed with tumultuously thrashing breakdowns that carry the same sense of chaos as you’ll find in Bring Me the Horizon’s sound. With the progressive structure of the single, you can’t help delving in over and over again. With every listen, the boldness of the lyrics becomes even more striking. No one likes to admit rejection, but 51st Avenue owns it in Don’t Want Me; the track allows you to consider that sometimes walking away from you is the best thing a person can do for you.
It comes as no surprise that 51st Avenue has already supported Start Your Own Cult, Cambridge, Young Lions and Hands Like Houses on tour. Although based on Don’t Want Me, it won’t be long until bands can boast about opening for 51st Avenue.
Don’t Want Me is available to stream on Spotify, or you can check out the music video via YouTube.
Review by Amelia Vandergast