Afloat works through tension and towards forgiveness on “Moody”

New Jersey modern rock duo Afloat returns with their first official single of 2020, following up last year’s well-received Never Me; Always You EP with a drifting, dreamlike track called “Moody.”

The song is built around interlocking guitar leads reminiscent of mid-aughties emo and modern rock, built out with gang vocals and a poppy vocal hook from singer-guitarist Gabby Relos and singer-bassist Josh Rubeo.

Lyrically, “Moody” is a vignette of two people who experienced a falling out, and is written from a loose perspective, so much so that the emotions apply to a romantic relationship as easily as a deep friendship gone awry.

“Feel the tension in the room, all of it has to do with you,” Relos sings on the first verse, while Rubeo offers another perspective on the same story in the second verse: “did I say the right thing or did I just fuck it up?”

Ultimately, these two characters that we spend three minutes and 13 seconds with are hoping to maintain friendship after almost losing it, and are walking independently on a steady path towards forgiveness. Listen below, and watch Afloat play a livestream show tonight on Twitch; details at the gig’s Facebook event page.