“TNA” Fit For All Ages

Listening to The New Anxiety’s self-titled debut CDEP has restored my faith in indie rock. Not that my faith in the genre was ever really gone, but lately, I’ve viewed indie as being somewhat dichotomous – and not in a good way. On one hand, a new wave of teenybopper TRL favorites seems to have flooded the scene. These pseudo indie rockers are now a dime a dozen and sing about the usual, played-out topics: relationships, break ups, and anything and everything having to do with growing up. On the other hand, a more exclusive and almost elitist form of the music exists among hipper circles. The New Anxiety’s eponymous release falls somewhere in between – easily accessible and enjoyable while at the same time intelligent and thought-provoking.Indie, math-rock, emo – hell, even geek-rock – these are all the terms that come to mind when describing the New Jersey quartet. Poppy at times while guitar-driven at others, TNA manages to draw in listeners with sweet, simple melodies and keep them interested with harsh, cathartic progressions. Vocalists Tim Recuber and John Masino’s voices posses a certain innocent quality about them prime for the radio waves. Yet, the subject matter of much of TNA’s songs goes far beyond heartbreak and the like. Lyrics such as “We’re comfortable in a skin / So thickened and oblivious / To the harm descending slow and subtle and unquestioned / All choked rebuttals to false assurances that everything’s alright,” highlight themes dealing with anxiety, doubt, uncertainty, and even optimism. With such a great debut and an even better potential, TNA promises to be a band to keep an eye on.