NYC band Pencildive, fronted by Gina De Nardo, delivers an electrifying EP, Watch The World, that traverses brooding themes with ‘90s grunge. Joined by Zach Hirsch and multi-instrumentalist Ryan Hopper, the trio recorded this raw collection at Gojira’s Silver Cord Studios in Ridgewood, Queens.
Watch The World opens with “Eyes,” an atmospheric track driven by upbeat strumming guitars and pulsating drums. De Nardo has a voice that unsettles in its ethereal and electric force. With that, she sings breathily, while tight, and also releases it as the song builds with melodic guitars. She sings, “I am living in a fantasy where you love me.”
“Cover Your Ears” starts off deceptively mellow, with gentle guitar strumming and a subtle drum beat. De Nardo’s slow, eerie refrain, “Cover your ears,” suddenly escalates and transforms into a shrill scream, piercing through sharp cymbals and thunderous drums. After the dramatic shift in intensity, the second half of the track softens, but De Nardo’s voice remains a wailing echo, never fully retreating from the earlier outburst.
“Alone Anyway” features a catchy rhythm section paired with echoing, hazy guitar riffs to manifest a mysterious soundscape. De Nardo’s vocals switch between introspective verses and sharp, angry choruses, spitting out lyrics over gnarly riffs and crashing percussion.
The EP concludes with the title track, “Watch The World,” as it hooks us before leaving a shimmering gloom and doom behind. De Nardo’s vocals intone, “Watch the world fall apart,” with a dreary melancholy. The bridge only turns the song gnarlier with gritty guitars, until De Nardo’s voice swells into a beastly roar, “The world is on fire.”
Check out Pencildive’s Watch The World on Spotify.
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Photo credits: Kacie Owen, Kiki Vassilakis
Review by: Naomi Joan