• Courtesy
• Remi Russin, A Second Pass

(Self-released, digital)

About a year ago, I happened to be deejaying on the same bill at a local show as singer-songwriter Remi Russin. The headliner was New York queer-rock duo Man on Man, and a member of the group noted Russin's opening set, saying something to the effect of "You guys are lucky to have a band like that in your town."

And I agree! He didn't elaborate, but I inferred that we're lucky to have a group that keeps the spirit of a particular musical era alive. Clocking the Man on Man guys as solidly Gen X, I could imagine the fringy fellas in a smoky East Village club in the early '80s head-bobbing to new-wave bands such as the Cure and Joy Division, the same groups that clearly had a formative effect on Russin.

A well-regarded player in the Queen City's indie scene, Russin is known for rocking out alongside brothers Alex and Evan Raine in the band Community Garden. (Seven Days profiled the group in its March 11, 2020, issue, the last published music feature pre-pandemic.)

Russin is about to unveil A Second Pass, their first major release since 2021's Math for Poets. The seven new tracks continue Russin's exploration of dream-pop influences poured into a foundation of muscular rock. Synths, courtesy of bandmates Amaal Abdelrahman and Connor Brock, shift shapelessly through shimmering chord progressions while Russin, Max Mashrick and Brock layer gobs of guitars over Evan Raine's clockwork drums.

It's difficult to describe Russin's temperament. There's longing and despair in tracks such as the title cut, in which they sing, "If you're not listening / Then I really must be forgettable." But the song also hints at patience and acceptance.

Themes of companionship recur throughout the album. With Russin's bass leading the way, "Having Dogs" is a wistful ode to good boys that ramps up from sleepiness to passion. After a smooth transition, "I Need Some Air" assures listeners that "You know I'll be around / Because I'm not busy / And you can hit me up whenever," a pledge steeped in love with a tinge of loneliness.

Russin ruminates on small moments from daily life that seem to signify deeper thoughts as well as some existential dread. "Facing my camera roll / And making dollar signs in the smoke / I want to remember this / When everyone is under the floor," they sing on the intentionally misspelled "Xantham Gum." Then, later, "It's more plastic in the ocean / What could I have done about it anyway?"

Russin confidently walks a line with joy on one side and pain on the other. Their songs fly straight down the middle, fanning out in both directions simultaneously.

A Second Pass will be available at remirussin.bandcamp.com on Friday, October 20. Russin celebrates its release the same day at Despacito Bar and Kitchen in Burlington.