Poke A Brain - Love, Resentment & Mortality

​Poke A Brain

Love, Resentment & Mortality
self-released; 2025

By Jamie Funk
​

Poke A Brain’s Love, Resentment & Mortality is as sprawling and unfiltered as its title suggests—a patchwork of genres and moods that isn’t afraid to bounce between indie rock nostalgia, bluesy grit, and reggae-tinged detours. Across eleven tracks, the band leans into their wide-ranging influences with a kind of scrappy confidence, resulting in an album that feels more like a mixtape from a friend with good taste than a tightly curated statement. But that looseness works in their favor.

Opening track “No More” channels early Pavement in both tone and texture—jangly guitars, off-kilter charm, and a certain carefree rhythm that feels deliberately underproduced in the best way. The real standout here is the female lead vocal, which strikes a balance between clarity and grit, perfectly suited for the track’s breezy energy. It’s a strong start—playful but precise.

From there, the album dips into more emotionally charged territory with “Someone Like You,” a blues-inflected slow-burn that swaps quirk for soul. The male vocal lead adds warmth and yearning, grounding the track in something more tactile. “Love Is Free” pivots again, riding a driving beat and mid-2000s indie rock flavor that wouldn’t have felt out of place on a CMJ sampler.

Things get darker and moodier on “Blind Love,” which trades clean riffs for something grungier, more distorted, and emotionally raw. The guitar solo toward the end feels almost cathartic—a jagged exhale. “Tender” shifts gears completely, settling into a ballad structure that smolders rather than soars. It's understated, and the vocal performance does the heavy lifting, carrying emotion without ever feeling overcooked.

“Unresolved Dreams” builds from a promising intro to an explosive guitar-driven crescendo—one of the album’s most memorable payoffs. “Midlife” features intricate picking and quiet introspection, nodding gently in Radiohead’s direction without trying to replicate the blueprint. “Wicked Games” leans into vulnerability, while “Did It On My Own” drags things into heavier, Sabbath-inspired territory with crunching guitars and a sense of defiance.

By the time the record reaches “Night and Day” and “Temptation,” the band has hit nearly every corner of their musical map. The former has its moments but feels more like connective tissue, while the latter plays like a somber Joy Division homage—bleak, rhythmic, and oddly hypnotic.

Love, Resentment & Mortality doesn’t always feel cohesive, but that might be the point. It’s a collection of stylistic impulses, stitched together with personality and instinct. The ambition sometimes outpaces the execution, but there’s enough here—especially in the vocals and guitar work—to make you believe that Poke A Brain is onto something. Whether it’s nostalgia or novelty that hooks you, this is a record worth spending time with, if only to see where they’ll take you next.

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