Name a better duo than aldn and 7-track projects… I’ll wait. The Virginia native’s latest installment of this saga arrived on Friday (Nov. 15) with post spring, self destruction — a step away from his hyperpop roots towards a more expansive approach, yet equally as genre-undefinable.
The EP is already his second of the year, fittingly following the spring release of good grief, and marks his fourth in two years after sharing predictable and his debut album greenhouse in 2021. These past years have seen him rise to unimaginable heights — landing at the forefront of the hyperpop scene after building an incredibly strong network and fanbase through Discord.
aldn takes center stage for the majority of the project, holding production credits on every track alongside a combination of Gabe Greeland and Jeff Hazin, while boasting collaborations from hyperpop star Riovaz on the prior released “say what you mean,” and from punk-rock phenom Tom The Mail Man on the intro track “overpaid.”
“overpaid” kicks off the EP on an angsty note, exploring the convoluted lifestyle of being a celebrity as he touches on key themes of financial security, drugs, and imposter syndrome, singing, “There’s a place, outta state / Where everybody’s better than you / Pretty face, on display / Paid for with a credit card too.” Tom contributes on the second verse, describing a relationship as an escape from the everyday struggles one faces.
However, the concepts explored transition directly into the second track, “good for no one,” as aldn struggles to balance feeling alone and caring what others think of him. An ad-lib riddled, distortion heavy verse sees him confront these feelings, yearning for comfort in his own skin while he repeatedly sings “I don’t care what they gonna say” throughout the track.
It’s not until “fall at the same time” that aldn encounters the detrimental effects of the first two tracks, exploring a crumbling relationship as he sings, “Make me feel like shit, just a little bit / Hate to feel like this when I’m all on my own / You call me, I say sorry / We replay this tired-out story.” A combination of acoustic guitar on the verses and punchy, explosive production on the hooks create for one of the most enticing listens on the project, before segueing into one of the more hyperpop influenced tracks.
“say what you mean” continues to “replay this tired-out story,” with aldn and Riovaz pleading for a significant other to tell them the truth in order to stop the constant anxiety, paranoia, and overthinking they face. However, it is clear that these desires go unanswered, as aldn starts the very next track, “kill you,” by singing, “I think I killed you in a dream last night / The most alive I’ve ever felt in such a long time / I’m still convincing myself I’m alright / I still can’t let anyone new inside.”
It does not take long for him to get his answer following the dream, as “green eyes” reflects on his seemingly inevitable breakup, singing, “So why, did you give me that ultimatum? / I made the wrong choice now I’m feeling so dumb.” He goes on to revisit their past experiences, realizing where things could have changed in order to make it work. Ultimately, he reminisces on the beauty that emerged during dark times during the relationship on “hold it love it,” understanding that their love was unsustainable.
Members of his Discord server may recognize the self-sampled, pitched up chorus from an old demo he shared, “throw it away,” a realization that sent me into euphoric chaos when I first heard. The new track is a perfect closer, leaving listeners with a sense of conclusion and higher spirits after the convoluted, winding roads of the first 16 minutes.
post spring, self destruction is not the last we’ll hear from aldn this year — the first stop on his headline tour begins on Nov. 13 in LA, and the ensuing eight dates will feature a combination of grandma and poptropicaslutz! as openers.
Listen to ‘post spring, self destruction’ by aldn below!
