This piece was originally featured in AM02 — Issue Two of Ascribe. Click here to read it alongside the rest of the issue.
Following a several year hiatus, Picturesque is back on the scene with one
of their newest singles, “Hopeless,” released under Equal Vision Records.
This track is a true testament to the band’s unrelenting dedication to
exploring the sonic landscape of alternative music. By blending together
guitar-heavy post-hardcore riffs with elements of pop, hip hop, and
electronic music, they’ve created a sound that defies genre expectations
and keeps us on the edge of our seats.
The track begins slow, with a melodic guitar rift and the gradual addition
of the synth, drums, and vocals that sets a haunting tone for the track. The
track takes you on a melodic journey of feeling stuck in your day-to-day
life, screaming, losing it as you try to figure out what day of the week it
is and how to move along from the quicksand that is pulling you under,
burying you.
When discussing the song, the band explains: “‘Hopeless’ was written
during lock down and at that point the band had felt stuck for a while.
‘Hopeless’ is just us expressing that feeling of being stuck. Being stuck in
our career, being stuck musically or quite literally being stuck in a place
you don’t want to be.”
What’s incredible about Picturesque is that they do not confirm themselves
to just one genre. While talking about the band, lead singer Kyle Hollis
says, “Quite frankly, I don’t care if people call us a rock band or not. The
genre of the songs we make doesn’t matter to us; in fact, I’d go as far as to
say they’re genreless––nothing we write is formed in the traditional way. If
something works, we roll with it, and that makes the music abstract, off the
wall and, more than anything, exciting.”
Along with the track, Picturesque also released the accompanying music
video, which is a must-see for anyone who wants to experience the full
force of this band’s talent. The video captures the raw power and intensity
of this track, while also weaving together a compelling visual narrative that adds a whole new dimension to the song.
“Hopeless” is a reminder to fans old and new that Picturesque is relentless
in their pursuit of musical experimentation, leaving fans excited for what
the band has in store for the rest of 2023.
You can listen to “Hopeless” here:
