Late last year, I chatted with Kansas City trio Blackstarkids about their first full-length release, Whatever, Man, which I called “impressive in its scope and executed with the grace of a veteran group.” Now, the group is back with Puppies Forever, their first proper album under the Dirty Hit flag. Due out this fall, Puppies Forever is previewed by the indie-pop jam “Juno,” which showcases the group’s knack for blurring genre lines and incorporating everything from hip-hop and R&B to power pop and shoegaze.
“‘Juno’ is a really honest reflection of how we were feeling at the time of working on the album, which is why we wanted to lead with it,” the group said in a statement. “In context of the album, it’s one of the more personal and reflective moments.”
The new single arrives with a self-video directed from the group alongside AG Club’s Manny, which depicts the members driving and dancing around their hometown. Although the track clocks in at just under three minutes, each member still has ample time to get their turn with a fresh verse that showcases their diverse musical inspirations and writing style, ranging from Tame Impala and Mac DeMarco to The Smashing Pumpkins and Clairo.
Puppies Forever doesn’t have a firm release date yet, but is due later this year ahead of the group’s first-ever nationwide tour, supporting fellow Dirty Hit artist Beabadoobee. Pre-save the album here.