EXCUSE ME., a five piece alternative rock band out of Ontario, is back with their newest single titled “The Miser”. 

I was curious to see where this song went, as by definition, a miser is someone who is stingy and hates to spend money. In EXCUSE ME.’s context, however, the lead vocalist referring to himself as a miser gives the idea that he is stingy with himself and how he gives away his love, time, and affection. Without the capability to let go of more of themselves, EXCUSE ME. is trying to push away this love interest with lyrics such as “I’ve become something of a miser/ you’ll be better on your own”. The vocalist is on a continual dynamic growth throughout the song, seeming to become more frantic and aggressive in his attempts to persuade the other party into leaving him alone in his melancholy.

While the vocals of EXCUSE ME. are well produced and expressive, the true genius of “The Miser” comes through from the instrumentals and synth inlaid within the song. The track begins with an inhale leading into steady thrumming of a drum beat, giving an immediate sense of locking into the pulse and journey that is “The Miser”. While the entire song can be labeled as upbeat and with a consistent undercurrent of a pulse, we see that as the vocalist devolves further into his smooth mania, the entire track grows in volume and weight like raging riptides. The band ends up fully overtaking and drowning out the vocalist, with the last minute and a half of the track focusing on catchy, innovative synth and expansive guitar riffs.The combination of the synth and guitar feels particularly like being pulled into a state of recklessness and emotion, almost continuing the argument the vocalist had been making before being overtaken by the sound.

“The Miser” is a strong showing from EXCUSE ME., proving that they not only are confident in their own curation, but that they will also continue to grow and experiment within their own sound. While you can label a variety of influences and sounds that EXCUSE ME. pulls from, it is certain that the band is creating a sonic experience entirely their own with “The Miser”, and with a forthcoming second EP in the works, the world needs to watch out for what EXCUSE ME. will do next.

You can stream “The Miser” on Spotify and Apple Music. Be sure to also follow the band on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook to stay up to date with everything coming up from EXCUSE ME.