Human People Butterflies Drink Turtle Tears

When it comes to misanthropy, no one does it better than Human People. The NYC four-piece are known for their scrappy, raucous punk that’s equal parts angsty and infectious. Following their last two excellent EPs, Sleep Year and Veronica, Human People will release their debut LP, Butterflies Drink Turtle Tears this fall via Exploding In Sounds Records. Human People have carved out a distinct space for themselves within the scene between crunchy hooks, moody riffs, and acerbic lyrics. Their influences ranging from post-punk, to power pop, to riot grrrl, the punk quartet have settled on their most eclectic sound yet on this record, rounding out and refining their sonic palette along the way. Despite its power pop sensibility, Butterflies Drink Turtle Tears possesses a vulnerable interiority, one in which vocalist Hayley Livingston explores the trials and tribulations of maneuvering life’s thorniest topics of isolation, existential dread and relationships. BDTT is the kind of record that you can listen to alone to in your room, staring aimlessly at the ceiling and moping around, but it’s also an album you can put on while thrashing around with friends in a sweaty basement in some attempt to forget about the shittiness of the world, for a song or two. What’s singular about Human People, though, is their effortless chemistry and lack of pretension (a rarity among the seemingly endless sea of Brooklyn bands); it’s infectious and immediately palpable whenever you see them perform. It’s the kind of energy that can only come from the bond of four best friends, and the kind that makes you want to sing along with them, too.