On first listen, it would be easy to mislabel Cende’s “What I Want” as a happy song. When the drum isn’t driving it’s approximating a handclap and the piano is more than content bop right along beside it. But a closer look at the lyrics reveal a people stuck in a crisis, trying to be who they want to be and failing. It’s one of the most depressing things you’ll dance to this week, for sure.
The band got an assist on the #1 Hit Single track from Greta Klein of recent Sub Pop signees Frankie Cosmos, which doesn’t alleviate the gap between the track’s sound and subject matter any. Give a listen to the sunshine-y vocals up top and stick around for the few moments of absolute chaos near the end.
In addition to the new single, Cende have shared tour dates in support of their latest effort. After the album drops on May 26, the band will hit the road with Japanese Breakfast and (Sandy) Alex G. Check out those dates below and snag a pre-order of Single here.
06/02 — Washington, DC @ Rock & Roll Hotel
06/03 — Richmond, VA @ Strange Matter
06/04 — Carrboro, NC @ Cat’s Cradle (Back Room)
06/06 — Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade (Purgatory)
06/07 — Orlando, FL @ The Social
06/09 — Houston, TX @ White Oak Music Hall
06/10 — Austin, TX @ The Parish
06/11 — Dallas, TX @ Club Dada
06/13 — Phoenix, AZ @ The Rebel Lounge
06/15 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Echoplex
06/16 — San Diego, CA @ The Irenic
06/17 — Santa Ana, CA @ Constellation Room
06/18 — San Francisco, CA @ The Chapel
06/20 — Seattle, WA @ The Crocodile
06/21 — Vancouver, BC @ The Cobalt
06/22 — Portland, OR @ Holocene
06/24 — Salt Lake City, UT @ Kilby Court
06/25 — Denver, CO @ Larimer Lounge
06/27 — Minneapolis, MN @ 7th St Entry
06/28 — Chicago, IL @ Bottom Lounge
06/29 — Columbus, OH @ Double Happiness
06/30 — Lakewood, OH @ Mahall’s
07/01 — Detroit, MI @ El Club
07/02 — Toronto, ON @ Velvet Underground
07/04 — Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz PDB
07/05 — Cambridge, MA @ The Sinclair
07/06 — Brooklyn, NY @ Music Hall of Williamsburg
07/08 — Philadelphia, PA @ Union Transfer
