‘Better’ captures Clyde the Band at their most emotionally direct, pairing 90s-inspired alternative rock textures with savvy songwriting that cuts close to lived experience

‘Better’ captures Clyde the Band at their most emotionally direct, pairing 90s-inspired alternative rock textures with savvy songwriting that cuts close to lived experience…

The Los Angeles–based duo draw on distortion and melody in equal measure, crafting a track that feels raw without losing structure, vulnerable without collapsing into fragility.

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The song opens with guitar tones that immediately establish mood — thick, slightly abrasive, but melodic. There’s a looseness to the playing that feels intentional, allowing imperfections to surface rather than smoothing them away. The rhythm section drives the track forward steadily, grounding its emotional tension while giving space for dynamic shifts.

‘Better’ centres on invalidation — the quiet erosion that occurs when personal feelings are dismissed by those closest to you. Rather than framing this as confrontation, the song sits in the discomfort, allowing doubt and frustration to coexist. The chorus offers release not through resolution, but through recognition, making it deeply relatable for listeners navigating similar emotional landscapes.

Vocal delivery is restrained yet expressive, avoiding dramatics in favour of honesty. The balance between softness and volume mirrors the song’s theme: vulnerability amplified rather than hidden. Influences from Pixies, Pavement, and Weezer surface in the band’s approach to dynamics, where tension is built through contrast rather than sheer force.

‘Better’ reinforces Clyde the Band’s ability to merge emotional depth with guitar-forward immediacy. It’s a track that understands the power of understatement, allowing distortion to speak where words fall short. In doing so, the duo deliver a song that feels both personal and communal — a reminder that sometimes being heard is the first step toward feeling better at all.