For their new single 'Finished From The Start', Melbourne-based Serge & The Currents take the emotional exhaustion of a one-sided relationship and set it against bright, fast-moving indie pop-rock, creating a track that sounds considerably more liberated than its subject initially suggests.
Frontman Sergio Ercole brings decades of experience into the song, but there's nothing overly nostalgic about the result. Electric and acoustic guitars, bass, keyboards and energetic drums give the track a crisp, melodic drive, while his own cherry red Gibson 335 remains at the centre of the arrangement.
As it plays, the melodies feel immediate and familiar without sounding dated, fitting neatly with his idea of "future nostalgia"; music that draws on classic songwriting instincts while still aiming for something current and fresh.
Lyrically, the song deals with the point where persistence becomes self-defeating. The narrator has tried to create something meaningful, only to be met with distance and apathy. But instead of dragging that frustration into melodrama, they keep the writing direct, allowing the upbeat arrangement to carry some of the emotional release.
Then what began as disappointment starts to feel more like recognition. And by the end, walking away is presented as an understanding for when effort is no longer being returned and choosing not to keep sacrificing yourself to something already finished.
Following debut single 'This Too Shall Pass', 'Finished From The Start' continues to define Serge & The Currents as a project with a strong instinct for melodic, guitar-driven pop-rock and emotionally grounded storytelling.
The relationship may have been doomed from the beginning. But the song, thankfully, sounds like the moment everything starts moving again.