Video: The Regrettes – “Monday”

Directed by Dillon Dowdell. Single out now.

People grow up. People change. That includes songwriters. And bands.

It’s no surprise that someone like Lydia Night who was capable of writing sophisticated, well-crafted songs at 15 years old would eventually set her sights higher than the sassy world of Los Angeles punk that she entered via School of Rock and the Donnas.

Five years after the Regrettes grabbed our attention with their girl group inspired power pop, they’re ditching the “power” and going straight pop. And Night doesn’t care what old dudes like me think of it. “For ages, I was worried about proving something to the 50-year-old dads at the back of the room,” she told the NME. “But here we are, finally growing up.” Fair enough.

The fact that she nailed me so perfectly is a little disturbing. I am literally a 50-year-old dad. When I go to a show, I can often be found at the back of the room. And I am always disappointed when scrappy bands I love take a more mainstream turn. That’s my deal. I know it’s problematic to project my own garbage onto the artists I listen to, but that’s what I do. The silly thing about it is I actually like pop music. One of the things this site was founded on twenty years ago was sticking up for Britney Spears. So why do I feel personally offended when an artist changes their sound to something more widely palatable?

It probably has something to do with the fact that I came of age in the 90s when it was absolutely anathema to seem like you were trying too hard. Or to seem like you cared. About anything. This aloofness was always a bullshit pose. Always. It was designed to mask deep insecurity and fear of failure. So phony. But here we are. All these years later. A 50-year-old dad with all the same hangups I had as a 20-year-old dork.

Anyway…

“Monday” is a good, perfectly arranged pop song. It’s got a chorus that says, “Gotta get the fuck out of L.A.” so that’s a plus. The Regrettes are still good. They’re just different.