Utah-via-Hawaii quartet The Moss is back with another vintage riff-hammerer with the release of their new single “Insomnia,” which also comes with news that the band will be making the trek out to the west coast for a gig at The Echo in Los Angeles on Oct. 11. Combining everything from surf-rock to 60’s blues into their own concoction of driving indie-rock over the course of two albums, The Moss radiate a kindred spirit with acts like Pinegrove and Cage the Elephant. On their latest release band finds themselves tossing and turning as they wrestle with the pain of spending time apart from their lover.
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Delivered with their characteristically exhilarating blitz of dually fuzzy and jangly guitars, “Insomnia” is a rollicking love song plagued by a bittersweet realization that comes with every blossoming relationship. “I can’t eat baby and I can’t sleep,” singer Tyke James wails against the streaking glow of the song’s dizzying riffs. As they swap between breathless rushes and slow-burn breakdowns, The Moss reveals just how potent their kinetic energy can be even through a studio recording. So just imagine all that raw rowdiness exploding live — let alone on a stage like The Echo.
The music video for “Insomnia,” which was animated by Duncan Hatch, follows the routines of an anthropomorphic heart that spends its sleepless nights writing (and re-writing) the same lyrics over and over. Drowsy-eyed he wakes and undergoes the same cyclical pattern over and over — trapped as much by his insomnia as his heartache — after finishing each letter he folds it into a paper airplane to throw out the window.
But by the end of the video, it’s revealed who he’s throwing those letters to and it’s not his potential lover but rather an anthropomorphic brain incensed at being buried in letters. Which of course is the perfect metaphor for when you keep yourself up at night thinking about the empty spot in your bed and not focusing on sleeping.
The Moss will be playing The Echo in Los Angeles on Oct. 11. Visit The Moss on their website, Facebook, and Instagram to stay updated on new releases and tour announcements.
Words by Steven Ward
Watch the music video for the new single “Insomnia” by The Moss below!
