In a whiplash rush of full-throttle club modernism and alt-pop immediacy, Zoë Mc Pherson returns to SFX with their fourth album, Upside Down. Embarking on a necessary quest for hope and connection in ominous times, they barrel through harsh realities with their heart wide open, leaning into vulnerability on every turn and use rave physicality as their centre of gravity.
The upfront impact of Upside Down is a logical progression from the angular soundsystem experimentation of Mc Pherson's earlier records to the stronger presence of melody and vocals on 2023's Pitch Blender and the rapid-fire club rhythms of 2024's Chaos 3.0 EP.
On every level this new album chooses direct modes of communication, whether it's a front and centre 'Think' break, a gated trance lead or a knowingly catchy, heartfelt vocal hook.
Mc Pherson's innate experimental streak and artful sound design still run through the album as they warp and contort vibrant club music tropes to their own mutant ends, but there's an intentional shift towards universality as a tonic for the times we live in. From the inescapable serotonin dose of the D&B drop on 'Not On Display' to the playful doof driving 'Narciss Century', there's a lot to latch onto on Upside Down even as it defiantly stakes out its own space.
Lead single 'Bang Bang' spells out this idea in no uncertain terms, juxtaposing bruising kick drum flair with pearlescent pads positively radiating soothing frequencies. It's uplifting and absolutely built for a club setting, but it smartly swerves saccharine idealism for a more grounded sort of ruff euphoria.
Lyrically, Mc Pherson faces down humanity's current moment with the same moral conviction that courses throughout all their work to date. From an acerbic damnation of the neoliberal war machine ('Not On Display') to a frustrated plea for people to work on their trauma ('Narciss Century'), this is a record which doesn't choose between the political and the personal because it's all connected.
Upside Down has been conceived as a counter strategy for the wider sickness pervading modern times—a two-wheeled vehicle for rebellious joy driven by events on the ground, in stark contrast to the sci-fi metaphors of Pitch Blender.
In the face of a world riddled with toxicity, for Mc Pherson the logical response is to throw caution to the wind and take any opportunity to live. The metaphor of a motorbike winds its way through the album with purpose, as an infectious paean to true love on pop-pilled peak 'Together We Ride' and culminating in the engine snarls punctuating the melancholic escapism of album closer 'Farewell' as it races towards an unknown destination, a hint of hope whispering in the wind behind it.
credits
releases March 14, 2025
Performed, produced and engineered by Zoë Mc Pherson
Final mix by Matt Karmil
Mastering by Joker
Photography artwork by Zoé Chauvet
Vinyl graphics by Camille Ostwalt
Text by Oli Warwick
