Kathleen Hannah’s re-current battle with Lyme disease brought The Julie Ruin to a standstill not long after their debut album, Run Fast, was released in 2013. So back in April when they announced that they would be releasing their second record this July the internet went a little bit crazy. The prospect of this band being functioning again is incredible, a gift to the punk scene, and the single is just as keyboard heavy as you could have hoped for.
A steady minor guitar riff takes you through the first two verses accompanied only by Kathleen’s instantly recognisable vocals. As the chorus nears, there is a smattering of synth which gradually falls in to place with the guitar just as the drums kick in at the start of the chorus. There is a great sense of urgency as the instruments build up in to a battle like crescendo, the synth winning by a mile. Lyrically, the song is fairly intense. Kathleen’s poetic style here leaves the meaning behind ‘I Decide’ wide open to interpretation “You might be a thorn I witness to pain I just need to co-exist with but I, I’ll decide.”
Although only a glimpse of what The Julie Ruin is about to bestow upon us, ‘I Decide’ is a seriously exciting track that holds a lot of promise for the forthcoming album. Long live The Julie Ruin!
The Julie Ruin’s latest album Hit Reset is available via Amazon & iTunes.