Single Review: Paraphernalia King & Country
2026 has been a big year for post-hardcore and shoegaze adjacent music. Basement's first new album in eight years, Deftones playing arena shows, and From First to Last releasing their first non-single new music in over ten years. All this going on must be inspiring and driving the next generation of bands in the genre. Bands like Adelaide’s Paraphernalia.
Paraphernalia have been releasing music and playing shows since 2023. We aren’t here to talk about their history though, we’re here to talk about their new single King & Country. This single follows the release of their cover of Slowdive’s 1994 track Dagger. The band’s first outing with new addition of Clarissa on vocals, King & Country is exploring new dynamics and new genres.
King & Country trickles in with the lead riff establishing itself gradually. That reference to spaghetti western soundtracks works so well. Somehow, while you wouldn’t expect the spaghetti western genre to work so well alongside the grunge and the post-hardcore sound that Paraphernalia have built, It does. The main riff exists throughout the verses, and it calls back nicely throughout.
There’s a lot going on in the chorus for King & Country. Immediately noticeable is the change in the second guitar. Paraphernalia deliver a switch from the acoustic second guitar into a heavier, power chord rhythm guitar, that gives the chorus some real substance. The chorus is really where the new dynamics hit, with the dual vocal driving through, balancing gut punch and floaty. I really like this approach of having the drive and the hard alongside the float and dreaminess. The blend of shoegaze and post-hardcore is executed so well.
The bridge strips things right back from the chaos of the instruments during the chorus. To let the vocals and the riff be the main focus is a bold move, but boi does it pay off. The juxtaposition of the choruses that sandwich the bridge makes the bridge feel like the band are letting you have a breather. The final chorus goes hard. The way it roars back in following the low of the bridge makes this outro feel like it goes even harder. The dynamic shift is so well done, and I can’t help but rewind and replay.
The track balances different levels of different genres, the twangy spaghetti western, the dreaminess of shoegaze, the heavy guitar sound of grunge and post-hardcore. Lyrically, King & Country is tangling with the topic of leaving somewhere you’ve known and loved but feeling conflicted and possibly regretting the decision. As with a lot of shoegaze tracks, some of the lyrics get lost in the haze, but the feeling still transcends.
King & Country is a solid outing for a first step in a new chapter for Paraphernalia. With the addition of a new vocalist, new frontiers are really opening up for the Adelaide outfit. If this is your first exposure to Paraphernalia, count yourself lucky, what better time to jump on the bandwagon and truly get behind them. King & Country is more than just the one track; it’s a herald for a new era for the band. I’m excited to see what Paraphernalia do next.
If you want to keep an eye on Paraphernalia too, have a look through their linktree. Follow them on whatever socials you use and listen to them on whatever streaming service you use.
