If you look up “Unstuck” by Polkadot, you might be thinking that the thumbnail looks vaguely familiar. Is it because of the digicam aesthetic? Is it the vocalist looking sideways? Or is it the entire screencap lingering across your algorithm, nudging you until it convinces you at the very last minute to check it out? Truth be told, I was one of the chronically online viewers to fall for it, and my goodness it was worth my time. 

Carrying loads of distortion, booming snares and noisy fuzz, a couple of wits on-hand and a bunch of harbored influences from the 90s Matador and 2010s indiemo phase, the Bay Area’s Polkadot is a band that says a lot through its dirty amplifiers and honest-to-god songwriting. It’s infectious more than it is a drag to listen to. 

After releasing Feeling Okay in 2020, vocalist Daney Espiritu doesn’t run out of emotional whims while guitarist Matthew Estolano runs amok in melodic touches of fuzz rock from start to finish in their latest string of singles. And like all Bay Area DIY darlings, Polkadot’s “Unstuck” is an amalgamation of the band’s sound and attitude: good times, hard feelings, and amazing singles. That’s all there is to it, plus the algorithm is giving you good music this time around.

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