Album of the Month – Niiice. Internet Friends

Art by Bethünni Schreiner

Hannah Sleath, Guest Contributor
January 15, 2022

I have been sitting on the idea of a music column for the Packer News for a while. I love writing and I don’t think there’s a moment in which I’m not listening to music. So what better place to start than the album I have been listening to at least once a day for the past three weeks.

Allow me to introduce you to the Minneapolis-native band Niiice. The wonderfully talented trio of Sage Livergood (drums), Roddie Gadeberg (Guitar), and Abe Anderson (bass) are signed under Brace Cove Records and have made two LPs, an EP, and a wide array of singles since their 2018 breakout. Niiice. is hard to pin under one genre with their growing discography, falling under pop punk, fourth wave emo, post-hardcore, and even stoner punk. Whatever you want to call it, their sound is truly addictive.

My favorite and latest album from the group is their sophomore LP, “Internet Friends.” I am not even sure where to start with this album. I stumbled across this record in my Apple Music explore page, and from only the second song I was hooked. A twangy guitar intro bleeds into their first lyrical track, Trademarked, a strong pop punk song, with lyrics that are by no means clever, but still quite charming. The track mellows out again and leaves you ready for more brash drums and screaming early 20s existential dread.

Despite the brief lull, the rest of the tracks are just as energetic, bursting with angst and apologies. It’s like listening to your crappy boyfriend talk about how much his life sucks, but in the best way possible. Another standout track is Ruff’ N’ Tuff, which packs a powerful punch from the start of the track all the way to the end. The wicked guitar solo later into the song makes me feel absolutely feral.

Track after track is filled with that same emotional wailing and thunderous drums listeners come to expect by the end of the record. Lockjaw is a perfect closing track that pulls the album together. With riffs that call back to previous tracks, the motif of going outside scattered throughout the album, and lyrics that speak very strongly to anyone with any sort of chemical imbalance, the final lines of the album sum up “Internet Friends” exactly the way you’d expect:

“I’m tired, but I can’t go

I’m tired, but I don’t wanna go home yet, I feel like I just got here

It took so much to get me out of bed

And even though I didn’t sleep at all, I guess this is better than being alone” (Lockjaw by Niiice.)

I highly recommend Niiice. if you are a fan of any of the genres listed earlier, or listen to Joyce Manor, Mom Jeans., Remo Drive, or The Hotelier.

8 out of 10 Misos