Brighton-based musician Matt Finucane returns with a feedback-driven slice of post-punk ahead of his forthcoming album, Ruination. Never an artist to follow the obvious route, the songwriter and poet has spent more than two decades working around the edges of alternative rock, drawing on post-punk, angular guitar noise and a distinctly off-centre lyrical sensibility. On “Dead Artform”, he turns a skeptical eye towards the state of music itself, delivering a sardonic take on artistic stagnation and a culture increasingly shaped by technology and commercial interests.

The track makes its point through sound as much as words. Jagged, reverberant guitar lines collide with a restless bass and Barney Guy’s driving drums, creating an abrasive but absorbing groove. There are shades of Sonic Youth in the elastic rhythms and the guitar’s refusal to settle, while Finucane’s refrain, “this is a dead artform/as dead as me”, adds a streak of black humour. For all its cynicism, though, the music is anything but lifeless.

“Dead Artform” takes aim at a world in which creativity increasingly finds itself caught between commercial pressures and technological ambition. The song’s references to AI tech-bros and their apparent desire to turn everything into an asset give its bleak outlook a contemporary edge. Rather than delivering a straightforward protest song, Finucane approaches the subject obliquely, using surreal imagery and irony to leave the listener with something to chew over.

Musically, the single finds a satisfying balance between abrasion and momentum. The feedback and angular guitar work provide plenty of rough edges, but the bass and drums keep the track moving, preventing it from becoming an exercise in noise for its own sake. There is a clear sense of purpose beneath the unruly surface, and the result is a track that rewards repeated listening without giving everything away on the first pass.

The single offers a glimpse of Ruination, Finucane’s forthcoming album, which he describes as moving further into “the neo-goth, post-punk darklands”. Yet the record’s concerns extend beyond atmosphere and sonic experimentation. As he explains, its underlying themes are the familiar human struggles of “jealousy, despair, redemption… And you. In the end, this album is about YOU.”

That emphasis on human experience has long been central to Finucane’s songwriting. Across a career spanning more than twenty years and a string of albums and EPs, he has developed an approach that combines introspection with a willingness to push musical conventions aside. Comparisons with David Bowie, Mark E. Smith and Lou Reed offer some context for his independent outlook and unconventional sensibility, although his work occupies its own distinctive corner of the alternative music landscape.

His 2024 EP, Bang Bang Exorcism, also released on Eyeless Records, continued that exploration. With Ruination, Finucane appears intent on taking things further, embracing the rougher textures and unexpected turns that make his music interesting in the first place.

He is equally dismissive of the need to cultivate an online persona or chase social-media approval, preferring instead to concentrate on what he calls “the power of unholy noise”. It is an attitude that fits the music: “Dead Artform” isn’t designed to offer easy reassurance or immediate gratification. Its appeal lies in the tension between its caustic outlook and the energy with which it delivers it.

There is something fitting about a song questioning whether music has become a dead art form sounding this vital. Finucane may be sceptical about the direction of the industry, but his own approach suggests that there is still plenty of life in making music on your own terms. “Dead Artform” is a strong, engaging single that combines sharp-edged commentary with a convincing musical identity, and it leaves “Ruination” looking like a release worth investigating.

“Dead Artform” is out now, with Ruination to follow digitally on October 30, alongside a physical release to follow via Eyeless Records.

Written by Nazomei Tasakka. Promotional consideration provided by Shameless Promotion PR.