Lifeguard – Under Your Reach
Chicago’s rising trio Lifeguard continues to build anticipation for their Matador Records debut “Ripped and Torn” with the release of “Under Your Reach,” their second single following the well-received “It Will Get Worse.” Set to drop on June 6th, the album promises to solidify the band’s reputation for brilliantly channelling arty, noisy post-punk sensibilities while carving out their own distinct sonic identity.
“Under Your Reach” showcases the band at perhaps their most potent, expertly balancing their experimental tendencies with pop-leaning impulses.
The trio—consisting of Slater (guitar, vocals), Case (bass, baritone guitar, vocals), and Lowenstein (drums, synth)—has been making music together since high school, which amounts to nearly a quarter of their young lives. This extended musical relationship has fostered a rare chemistry that allows them to draw from diverse influences, including punk, dub, power-pop, and experimental sounds, blending them into an explosive cacophony that feels chaotic and meticulously crafted.
Rolling Stone’s recent profile of the band notes that while “Ripped and Torn” features “plenty of distressed instrumentation and feedback-drenched atmosphere,” these elements are deliberately deployed “in the service of some of the year’s tightest, catchiest rock songs, full of hooks that will ricochet around your head all summer.” This careful balance between aggression and accessibility makes Lifeguard stand out in the current musical landscape.
Prior to signing with Matador, the band released “Crowd Can Talk” in 2022 via Chicago label Born Yesterday, which has since been reissued. Now poised for a wider audience, Lifeguard has announced an extensive tour schedule for 2025, including UK shows in June (London, Brighton, Manchester, and Bristol) as part of a European tour, followed by North American dates.
For those unfamiliar with Lifeguard, their music offers a compelling paradox—simultaneously noisy and immediate, cryptic yet heartfelt. With “Under Your Reach,” they continue to prove that experimental rock can be visceral and intellectually stimulating without sacrificing emotional impact, suggesting that their full-length debut may very well deliver on its considerable promise.
