Dead Assets build a Dream Town out of obsession and distortion

Dead Assets arrive with Dream Town, and the Cork trio clearly did not choose the polite entrance. Released on 30 May, the debut single is described around the idea of a relationship built on delusion, obsession and the dangerous comfort of fantasy. That gives the track immediate dramatic fuel, but what makes it promising is the band’s chosen delivery system: emphatic vocals, spacey guitars, driving bass and a post-punk-leaning indie rock pulse.

There is a long and noble tradition of young guitar bands turning emotional confusion into something fast, messy and cathartic, and Dead Assets sound like they understand the assignment. Dream Town is not trying to be tidy. It is about the kind of attachment that feels cinematic while it is happening and suspicious in hindsight. In other words, prime indie punk material.