Preoccupations - Ill at ease
Born Losers
May 9th, 2025
Since the 2010s, Preoccupations has surged as one of Canada’s most notable post punk acts with a number of incredible albums under their belt characterized by their broody dark and melodic sound. Composed by former members of the iconic Calgary band Women, Matt Flegel and Mike Wallace teamed up with Scott Munro and Daniel Christiansen to start an act under the name Viet Cong — later reasonably renamed Preoccupations. The band broke through and paved the way for the post punk and new wave revival we’ve seen in past years.
Ill at Ease is their latest record, which comes at the time of their debut record Viet Cong’s 10th anniversary. This anniversary milestone paved the way for the release of the kick-off single “Focus” along with its accompanying music video, later to be followed by “Bastards.” This record also marks their switch from Flemish Eye Records and independent releases to their new label Born Losers.
Thematically, the album comes from a place of being unsettled by an unending sense of fatalism — quite through to the genre, along with all the k-punks like Mark Fisher who intellectualized this creeping sense that there is no future. To this extent, the album doesn’t deviate majorly from Preoccupations’ usual concerns. What may be most worth noting about it is that this record is perhaps one of their most accessible releases to date, toning down some of the more intensive leanings towards experimentation the likes of which you can catch a glimpse of in their debut record. Even then, you might come across a track like the titular “Ill at Ease” which generally sticks to an angular post-punk groover driven by the rhythmic melodies in the instrumental eventually giving way to an ambient synth outro. Synth experimentations come to surface in “Retrograde,” a track which is driven between a rhythmic oscillating bass synth patch and a deconstructed beat showered in melodic guitar arpeggios. Besides these more electronic and experimental edges of the album, my personal favorite track might have to be “Andromeda,” characterized by a fairly conventional post-punk groove with cosmic world ending musings about inevitable collapse. “Krem2” might be a close second, as its chorus is so melancholically strong while allowing a crescendo of backing vocals lead into a stripped down outro by the rhythm section.
Preoccupations’ fans will be delighted to receive another excellent album after a few years since their last release. The album features much of what there is to love about this band, and it might be an excellent jumping off point for new listeners who might eventually work their way back through their releases to grasp the breadth of what Preoccupations can do.
