ATROPHY by Midwestern Roadkill

Talking about mental health is trendy now. It’s easy to say you support people with depression or anxiety, but when your mentally ill friends show real symptoms that might make you uncomfortable, do you stick by them? The new album ATROPHY by Midwestern Roadkill is a raw look into what a depressive episode can actually be like. Characterized by fuzzy, hazy production, this skramz-pop release carries with it a sense of isolation and impermeability. It’s the sound of not leaving your bed for 3 days straight, the blinds drawn shut and air stale with halitosis. Lo-fi vocals are bored and despondent, overlaid by sudden screams until everything gets drowned out by buzzy riffs and muffled percussion. The lyrics are desperate yet detached, telling stories about self-harm through meaningless sex and violence. When these unhealthy coping mechanisms no longer fill the void inside, it’s easier to imagine giving up instead of getting better. At this depth of depression, falling into a state of lethargic anhedonia almost seems like relief. As the final track trails off “I wanna leave, cuz I don’t care what people think…” repeating over a bedroom acoustic guitar recording, this mantra feels like a point of no return. Even though there’s no happy ending for this record, music like this feels necessary for building real empathy that runs far deeper than Instagrammable mental health infographics.

- Kalen