Ready, Steady, Die! aren’t interested in making conventionally melodic music, and if there was any debate as to whether or not this was a valid statement prior to the release of their new video for the song “Vent,” I don’t know that one will persist from this December forward. “Vent” is perhaps the best example of Ready, Steady, Die!’s antiestablishment approach to an otherwise glistening pop songwriting aesthetic in action. It’s a piece of folk music stylized to appeal to the punkers, but when compared side by side with the biggest hits in the hybrid alt-folk genre, this is a song that doesn’t play by nearly as many rules.

Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/readysteadydie

The understated unfurling of the verses in this single reminds me as much of Cocteau Twins as it does DeVotchKa, but there’s definitely no mistaking the tone of the strings here for anything but pure Americana reimagined for a dream pop format. The amalgamation of influences would probably be a lot for some listeners to take in all at once, but for the serious indie pop fan this material is the sort of mashup brilliance that is becoming harder and harder to find on the FM dial. From gypsy folk to shoegaze and everywhere in between, Ready, Steady, Die! aren’t afraid to be themselves (and I only wish I could say that for many of their rivals).

Cerebral qualities aside, the poetic value to “Vent” is unbelievably strong both linguistically and melodically, and if there’s a song from Pleasure Ride that best captures this band’s ability to embody a feeling in their sonic attack, this is probably it. Ready, Steady, Die! have this eagerness to be exposed that I personally can’t get enough of at the moment, and although they aren’t the only act in or outside of their scene to have this particular attribute, they’re one of the very few that I’ve reviewed in 2020 to be putting it to use efficiently in the studio.

Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/us/album/pleasure-ride/1491024517?i=1491024650&ign-gact=3&ls=1

If you haven’t heard Pleasure Ride yet but are curious about Ready, Steady, Die!’s sound, “Vent” could be the right listen to get you started before 2021’s arrival. This single and its video are a fair sampling of the best aesthetical fusions this band has worked into their repertoire, and though I think they’ve still got plenty of room to continue growing into their sound – especially given they’ve only released one album together – Ready, Steady, Die! are an act that I think every alternative aficionado needs to be following right now.

John McCall