In times of turmoil, art tends to mirror the weight of the world. Just as the 1960s gave us music steeped in anger, sadness, and empathy, today’s artists are once again channeling chaos into meaningful expression. Across genres, what emerges is a constant stream of interpretations and reflections of the madness we’re all living through.
I found myself drawing that line back to the ‘60s within seconds of Imaginary People’s third full-length, Alibi. Maybe it was the chaotic but powerful drumming that carried me into Dylan Von Wagner’s trembling vocals, reminiscent of Jefferson Airplane’s “White Rabbit.” But I think it runs a little deeper than vocal similarities. “It’s Simple,” written in the aftermath of the Stoneman Douglas shooting, serves as an entry point into the cold, dark world of Alibi. A world that is a direct descendant of our own. And much like “White Rabbit,” “It’s Simple” lingers with a haunting sense of unease and confusion.
Von Wagner’s vocals remain haunting throughout Alibi, but I also caught a growing rage beneath them. It’s most evident on the second track, “Renegade,” and later in “Crazy Eight,” where his delivery loosens up into something closer to a howl at times. The band leans into that intensity with pulsing rhythms and jagged edges, creating moments that feel both unhinged and tightly wound at the same time.
It’s very easy to hear Interpol all over this record, but beyond that, it’s difficult for me pin down other Imaginary People’s influences. They are definitely somewhere between ’80s rock and punk and post-punk but feel oddly detached from the current landscape, carving out a sound that doesn’t neatly belong anywhere but still demands to be recognized. And it isn’t all unrelenting gloom. There are flickers of light, though I use that word cautiously. “Bronx Girl,” for instance, carries a streak of romanticism, a reminder that life continues despite the weight of sadness pressing in from all sides. It’s a brief, tender reprieve before the darkness creeps back in.
The band also slips in an unexpected cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “State Trooper” halfway through. Where Springsteen’s original was stripped down and subdued, Imaginary People reimagine it with a buzzing, synth-punk ferocity. The result is louder, rawer, and arguably truer to the paranoia at the heart of the song.
I have to admit that Alibi was a difficult record for me. It’s heavy, sometimes overwhelmingly so, and not the kind of album you can just throw on in the background. But I believe that’s the point. It’s a cathartic listen, demanding full attention, and rewarding it with unflinching honesty. That, to me, is the mark of a band unwilling to compromise and it’s what makes this record worth sitting with, even when it’s not easy.
Alibi is streaming everywhere on September 12th. Listen to the latest single here:
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