An immersive single with a nostalgic post-punk and dreamy pop intertwining, “Persona Non Grata” is the latest from Bones in Butter. The Serbian band caught our ears with their album Songs For A Sane Society, and then followed that up with the similarly excellent Cosmopolis, which includes the fantastic “Persona Non Grata.” Released via noted Swedish label Rexius Records, the album envelops in its stylish sound, and with “Persona Non Grata” showcases the band’s late ’70s and early ’80s post-punk inspirations — with Bauhaus, Magazine, and Lou Reed being amongst the names in that memorable era.
The track navigates from a late-night, introspective intrigue into a brighter, harmonious allure. A lushly absorbing sound appeals right away, as wordless vocal sereneness and twangy guitars meld with a post-punk rhythmic feeling. Milutin Krasevic’s lead vocal emergence thereafter invokes a darker enthrallment, remarking “having you around, this keeps dragging us down / you don’t know how to shut up.” The scathing commentaries then ascend into a more calmly reassuring dreaminess, the vocals letting out “I hope you understand” as the backing vocals re-enter and a jangling guitar mystique unfolds. “Persona Non Grata” is a stirring, replay-inducing success from Bones in Butter.
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This and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spotify playlist.
We discovered this release via MusoSoup.
