Today, DC-based power/pop band Bad Moves have announced that their new album, Wearing Out the Refrain, will be released on September 13th via Don Giovanni Records.

On the new record, the band explores the repetitive cycles of life that unfortunately elicit existential nausea — a phrase that they define as “the moments in which we find ourselves overwhelmed by an oppressive sense of pointlessness.”

All of this is tackled through hooky guitar pop and layered, interlocked vocals, in a way that only Bad Moves could take on with such a sardonic glee. With themes such as the grinding gears of capitalism, the endless pursuit of emotional growth, or the ever-evolving balance between social change and regression — it can feel like life is consistently re-telling the same bad joke, with a failing punchline.

One such moment of social regression, the rise of legislation aimed at dismantling protections for queer and trans people, stands out to us as singularly alarming,” Bad Moves explain. “While cloaked in the familiar jargon of moral panic, laws aimed at policing gender expression and silencing discourse on sexual identity seek to erase our identities, to dehumanize and push queer and trans people into the closet. They make the world a more dangerous place to live.”

In addition to the album announcement, the band have shared a new single, “Hallelujah.” It stands out as an anthem in support of queer and trans people’s rights to simply exist in the world. Several members of Bad Moves grew up in religious environments — some progressive, some not so much —  so the hypocrisy of using faith as a tool to repress queer identity feels personal. They continue: “As we push through cycles of desperation, our answer to those seeking to deny anyone’s true self-expression can only be SHUT IT DOWN.

Listen to “Hallelujah” below and pre-order the new album here.

Wearing Out The Refrain comes on the heels of recent tours with Cheekface and Ekko Astral, as well as two recent singles previewing the upcoming record. That includes the big, existential splash of “Let The Rats Inherit The Earth,” and their brilliant holiday-bummer anthem “New Year’s Reprieve.”

Check out all of the album details below.

Artwork:

Bad Moves

Track-listing:

  1. A Drowning Confession
  2. Let the Rats Inherit the Earth
  3. Eviction Party
  4. Hallelujah
  5. I Know I Know
  6. Outta My Head
  7. New Year’s Reprieve
  8. Sorry That I’m Not Better
  9. The Undertow
  10. A Lapse in the Emptiness
  11. Days Don’t Quit