Introducing The Hell Club, the indie folk-meets-rock project from songwriter and producer Mitchell McDermott with his haunting new single ‘Beautiful Stranger’. Lingering between melancholia and earnest devotion, this track reimagines the love song tradition, putting forth something raw, stripped-down and unflinchingly honest. Although it might at first appear to be a typical case of amor hereos (love sickness), it slowly unravels to reveal the deeper roots of depression, anxious attachment and self-deception.
As McDermott insists, “It’s definitely not a love song. It’s about the saddest sadness I’ve known—trying to find God and purpose and instead finding the devil. Loving something so much you’d let it kill you.”
We’re led into the song by hushed guitar strings, which are joined by atmospheric melodies. Reminiscent of Pinegrove or boygenius’ aching vulnerability, there’s a moment of restrained catharsis around the 1:26 minute mark where a swell of layered vocals and reverberated textures converge. Contrary to expectations, this point doesn’t expel the growing sense of unease, instead the songwriter leads us further down the path. This tension is further emphasised by McDermott‘s intimate production, which keeps the listener wrapped in his internal emotional world. It’s like a peek behind the curtains of someone’s private life, where once discovers an alluring beauty in the bleakness.
‘Beautiful Stranger’ is truly a captivating introduction to The Hell Club‘s debut album, God’s Sick Truth, which has been slowly released throughout the year. There are two more tracks to come, culminating in a vinyl release this November.
You can also listen to ‘Beautiful Stranger’ in our Outsiders Club playlist.
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