niiice. Release Surprise Second Single - "Minneapolis vs. St. Paul: This Time it's Personal"

It has been slightly over two weeks since punk trio niiice. released their music video for the emotionally potent single "Love Handlez" from their upcoming EP Never Better. In that short amount of time, the band decided that a second surprise single was needed to hold us over until March, and I could not agree more with this decision.

"Minneapolis vs. St. Paul: This Time it's Personal" continues the feelings of loneliness and emptiness found in "Love Handlez" by acknowledging one's frustration in their inability to improve their mental health. Yet again, the protagonist in this track looks for a moment of respite in someone else. From the get-go, you are met with the lyrics "Bring me peace and give me company/I need something to hang onto/I'm too old to be this goddamn sad" which sets the stage for the rest of the track before everything gets summed up with the poignant final line "I'm not making progress lately."

niiice. manage to straddle a fine line on this track. For the most part, they forgo the searing fuzzy guitars for something more subtle. The words take the forefront in creating the mood with little instrumental accents to punctuate certain moments. Nothing says this more than a trumpet that makes an appearance after the first verse. The juxtapositions of howling vocals and something like a brass section creates these hills and valley's that mirror the narrative told in this track. Don't worry though, this track is not devoid of the ferocity that is found in the last single. As soon as the final lyrics are delivered, the band builds in intensity for a breakdown and one final funky instrumental before wrapping it up.

In the context of "Love Handlez," niiice.'s "Minneapolis vs. St. Paul: This Time it's Personal" displays the range that will hopefully have on Never Better. They have this uncanny ability to keep the emotional intensity high lyrically while the instrumental arrangements move around them.

niiice.'s Never Better will be out March 1, 2019, via Brace Cove Records. You can check out "Minneapolis vs. St. Paul: This Time it's Personal" below.