If you happened to hear Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.’s super-catchy single over the summer, chances are, you’re still humming it. A few weeks after the release of the whistle-heavy “Gone”, the Detroit based indie pop duo announced that they were changing their name to JR JR, leaving behind their NASCAR-legend inspired moniker. Citing “confusion caused by the name”, they made the switch in July of this year, just a few months before releasing their self-titled album on September 25th. One of its stand-out tracks, “In The Middle”, was released as a single last month, and I still can’t get it out of my head.
The infectious, electro-driven sound of “In The Middle” makes it instantly listenable, but its meaningful lyrics and surprising lack of repetition separates it from the typical, homogeneous indie pop sound. Setting themes of apathy, materialism, and monotony to a cheerful beat is a juxtaposition reminiscent of Foster The People’s “Pumped Up Kicks”, but JR JR’s new track is infinitely more fun and danceable. “In The Middle” has every earmark of a hit, so be on the lookout – as the duo behind it gains more exposure, hopefully we’ll be lucky enough to hear more from them.
Love this track? Give JR JR’s latest album a listen-through, or, even better, catch the group live at 9:30 Club on November 6th!
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