Indie-rock darling Erin Porter – otherwise known as the immeasurably talented YOUR BEST NIGHTMARE – is back with a gift for all of us: her latest single, ‘St. Agnes.’ Joined by her friend and bandmate, the wonderfully versatile Darrel Norrell has brought his insane skills with the guitar and polished flair to this single. In other words, you have another reason to be excited about this track; with Norrell’s hair-raising talent, you know that ‘St. Agnes’ is going to be one intense ride.
Those who are familiar with YOUR BEST NIGHTMARE’s distinct style know that she is a little box of adorable horrors, perfectly combining her cutely sylphlike voice with her brazenly satirical lyrics. Her music has always been throned atop the crux of female empowerment and expression, and ‘St. Agnes’ is no exception.
That said, don’t be mistaken; this single offers a new flavour of YOUR BEST NIGHTMARE that we’ve never seen before. ‘St Agnes’ takes the dark yet sweet delightfulness of ‘Presents: A Simple Solution for Toxic Masculinity,’ steeps it in venom, sets fire to it, and dances in its poisonous ashes. Oh yeah, this track is truly a rage-fuelled evolution of YOUR BEST NIGHTMARE’s style. The question is, whose downfall are you praying for?
St. Agnes
Starting off the track with the promise of a tempest, you instantly fall prey to the thundering, distorted growl of the electric guitar. The guitar has such a menacing thrum that you feel a twisted sense of anticipation like you’re hearing something as ominous as a war horn in the dark. YOUR BEST NIGHTMARE doesn’t keep you in suspense for long, however, as her vocals emerge atop the whip-fast instrumental tempos, a furious goddess riding a storm.
When I heard YOUR BEST NIGHTMARE’s initial spoken-sung delivery, I was amazed at how she used her voice in this track; it’s so different from her previous works. Every note is drowning in fury and fire, and there’s a raspy, raw grit to her timbre that thrusts the track into a burning funhouse of angst and liveliness. Her delivery reminded me of the sneering edginess that K.Flay imbues her songs with; both artists beautifully fuse together a doll-like daintiness with a rock-charged wrath.
With the apocalyptic surge of a heart-bursting drumbeat by her side, the true extent of YOUR BEST NIGHTMARE’s singing talent crashes through the track upon the ground-splitting crescendo. What happens after is the aftermath of a cataclysmic bubblegum pop, and every component of the track’s texture runs wild as a result. The guitar plays as if its strings were made of violent lightning, the bass has a gruff, smoke-sputtering croon, the drums spit electricity with every beat, and the vocals are like the black cherry on top of this scornful cupcake – alluringly dark and deeply rich.
And let’s talk about those lyrics! ‘Forgive us our trespasses / And those who trespass against us / Well don’t ask me / Don’t ask me / Don’t ask me to forgive you / Lead me into temptation / Deliver me to evil.’ It’s lyrics like those that illuminate YOUR BEST NIGHTMARE’s love of the punk genre. Much like the distortion across the harmonies, there is a very clear warpedness prevalent within her religious-themed lyrics, and I love it! Punk music is all about anti-authoritarianism and the refusal to conform, and that spirit fits perfectly in a song not only from YOUR BEST NIGHTMARE but also one named ‘St. Agnes.’
But beyond the proud non-conformity that permeates across YOUR BEST NIGHTMARE’s tracks, the heart of ‘St. Agnes’ is all about the fact that it’s okay if you can’t forgive every single person that has wronged you. Sometimes it’s not as easy to ‘forgive and forget’ for the sake of closure or kindness; sometimes, forgiveness is messy, angry, and complicated, and perhaps not even an option. It’s the latter that you can hear in YOUR BEST NIGHTMARE’s music, the candid complexities of human emotion, and that’s what makes her songs so powerful. They’re real.
You can hear this realness as the track continues, acting as the perfect undertone to the ferocious union between the hot-headed dynamics and the overall frenzied rhythm. Toward the song’s ending, it’s like sonic combat between the vocals and the instrumentation, and yet there is undeniable solidarity between the two. Together, the two are bound to each other, both harmoniously like dancers and chaotically like warriors.
It’s this duality that hurls you toward the explosive diminuendo, in which the guitar screeches to the beat of the punchy, breakneck drums, ending with an appropriate abruptness that leaves you shell-shocked. All in all, ‘St. Agnes’ is a whirlwind of energy and emotion, a single that truly unsheathes the horror-inspiring firepower of YOUR BEST NIGHTMARE.
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ALT: Erin Porter, AKA YOUR BEST NIGHTMARE, sits on some steps while smiling and wearing big sunglasses.
YOUR BEST NIGHTMARE
To YOUR BEST NIGHTMARE, music means that you’re alive, so it’s truly no surprise that she has spent her entire life gravitating towards singing, playing instruments, and even dancing. Her parents, who nurtured and encouraged her creativity, set the stage for Porter’s amazing career, throughout which she has demonstrated her passion for music with talent and wisdom.
It’s no secret that YOUR BEST NIGHTMARE is a classically trained soprano and multi-instrumentalist, but she is also a major advocate for musical knowledge. A good performer becomes great when they learn how to listen first and perform second, and YOUR BEST NIGHTMARE has built her sound on that notion.
The result: she has become a musician who celebrates vim, virtuosity, and veneration. If that wasn’t impressive enough, she is also an incredibly versatile performer—in the absence of Killswitch Engage’s spectacular bassist/technician Josh Mihlek, YOUR BEST NIGHTMARE took to recording the bass for ‘St. Agnes.’ I think we can all agree she did a wonderful job!
‘St. Agnes’ follows the release of two wonderful albums and one spectacular EP, and – befitting of her unstoppable work ethic – YOUR BEST NIGHTMARE has one more promise in store: there is more music on the way. Watch this space, we’re going to see more of the promising young woman soon!
‘St. Agnes’ is available on all major streaming platforms!
Till next time.
