The catchy “Prisoner of Taste” plays with melodic fervor, showing a power-pop and indie-rock hybrid from New York act The Qualia that tends to stick. The four-piece is led by the songwriting of Lars Casteen, who works on material from his Brooklyn home studio. Early releases dating back to 207 debut Nevada’s Greatest! showed more sequenced sounds and drum machines, though today the band shows a very natural rock and power-pop delivery. The bouncy guitars and drive to a replay-yearning chorus exudes a power-pop sort of charisma, while the touch of vocal yearning and general arsenal reflects an ’80s/’80s indie/alternative sound, particularly one reminiscent of a perkier REM.
Regarding the track, the group says: “This song was inspired by the feeling of unease that comes from going shopping and hearing some of your favorite music playing at your least favorite stores.”
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“Prisoner of Taste” and other memorable tracks from this month can also be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Best of May 2019’ Spotify playlist.
