RIOT SON finds catharsis on Post Punk-inspired single, "Loneliest at Best"
With their all new single Loneliest at Best, RIOT SON arrive with a sound that’s both achingly familiar and undeniably fresh. Released right on August 18th, 2025, the Boone, NC-based project has crafted a track that draws deeply from the moody alternative rock and emo textures of the early 2000’s, while reshaping those influences into something modern and thrillingly alive.
At its core, the song is about heartbreak, but they approach the subject with more nuance than despair. The lyrics delve into the messy contradictions of relationships with the pull between connection and distance. There’s a melodramatic undercurrent running through it all, but it feels earned rather than overwrought, especially when paired with instrumentation that builds toward emotional crescendos before collapsing into reflective breakdowns.
Recorded in their home studio in the shadow of the Southern Appalachian mountains, the track somehow feels like its environment. There’s a sense of spaciousness, a gloom that’s both isolating and oddly inspiring. The guitars carry a jangly post-punk edge, steeped in the echoes of bands like Brand New and The Used, but RIOT SON injects them with brightness and propulsion that makes the track feel more like an anthem than a lament. To take those influences and not rehash the past, infusing it with a moder day flair is incredibly impressive!
For us though, it’s the vocals that tie everything together. Atmospheric and slightly dreamy, they float above the instrumentation with a detached fragility at times, then surge into urgency when the song hits its peaks in the latter half. The rhythm section drives it all forward with crisp, locked-in precision, while the guitar layers lend a fullness that makes the song feel larger than life. The production, helmed by German producer Magnet$u, leans into that scope, polishing the edges without sanding away the raw emotion.
It fully carries the DNA of its early 2000’s influences, but it never feels like simple nostalgia. They’ve reshaped the sound into something with its own edge, showing that while they know their roots, they’re already carving their own path. In the music scene, it’s the throwback sound like this that we love to hear.
As the first glimpse into an upcoming EP, Loneliest at Best sets the stage with confidence. It’s a track that doesn’t just capture the mood of heartbreak, it transforms it into catharsis at full volume. If this is where they begin, their future promises to be loud, heartfelt, and absolutely worth following. So please, go ahead and click those links below to get into the track, to follow along, and of course to stay tuned for much more in the works.
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