“The Old Regime” by Spectres

For years now, Vancouver’s own Spectres has been one of the best darkwave/post-punk outfits around, blending chilly atmospherics with impeccable pop melodies and Brian Gustavson’s emotive croon. Their music evokes aspects of The Cure, Joy Division, New Order, and The Smiths — y’know, the classics — alongside an anarchistic DIY ethos.

Spectres recently announced their new album, Presence, and its first single, “The Old Regime,” a vintage-sounding post-punk anthem par excellence. Artoffact Records will release Presence on March 15, 2024. In the meantime, I highly recommend the rest of their catalog, especially 2020’s Nostalgia; “The Call” was one from my favorite songs of that year.