Max Foreman Shares 'State of Decay'

Max Foreman has announced his debut solo EP titled Underground and has shared the lead single, "State of Decay," today via Week in Pop. Check out the premiere of "State of Decay" here. Max Foreman's self-released debut, Underground, is due out on March 5th, 2021.

Regarding the meaning behind the lead single, Max stated: "'State of Decay' is about that feeling of metamorphosis-part fatigue, part reawakening to the world around us. The lyrics depict nature gently reclaiming its territory, clawing away at the edifices of city life. The song observes a sense of beauty in experiencing nature and reaching for love amidst a time of unprecedented wreckage and upheaval. Curious non-sequiturs about silent street parades and doorstep dogs bring a feeling of light surrealism to the song, mirrored by the subtly warped instrumentation."

Underground is the debut solo release from Los Angeles-based songwriter and producer Max Foreman. A figure in the West Coast music scene for two decades, Foreman is best known for his keyboard and vocal work in the electric pop duo Bouquet, and as guitarist of the San Francisco math rock trio Tenebre. On his new EP, Max Foreman's meticulous songwriting has delivered a classic work of pop surrealism.

Layers of guitar and analog electronics invite the listener into Underground's playful and idiosyncratic landscape. The mid-tempo bounce of "State of Decay" finds detuned keyboards encircled by sweeping Laurel Canyon harmonies. "Second Time Around", a Zombies-influenced earworm dipped in Mellotron and organ, is turned upside down with blissfully warped synthesizers and guitar overdrive. Foreman's production finds kindred spirits in artists like White Noise and Laurie Spiegel, revealing hidden electronic gems in every verse.

The lyrics of Underground oscillate between serenity and alienation, searching for moments of reprieve in the midst of unprecedented crisis. The story unfolds in fragments-the prematurely changing seasons, the sensation of radiant city lights, and in the title track, an earthquake striking just minutes after midnight. Sometimes, as Foreman intones, "Heaven speaks from underground." The pathways of Max Foreman's Underground lead us all into a different, and more sublime, world.

Listen here:

Photo Credit: Adam Nagy

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