“Bare minimum” is something the world demands too much, but Ten Eighty Trees gives it right back in their latest single with the same name. Loaded with riff-heavy swagger and a biting hit of self-awareness, the track taps into the universal burnout blues where giving less is not about caring but managing to survive.
Singer Nathan Newton’s grizzled, impassioned roar on top of a wall of punchy guitars and slacker-rock vibes resounds with the moment you realize that you’ve had enough. “We wanted to write something that felt unapologetic,” Newton says. And that’s precisely what “Bare Minimum” has given us.
There’s something invigorating about how the song doesn’t try to sugarcoat how emotionally devastating it can be to pick up and carry more than you can handle. Instead, Ten Eighty Trees fully leans into the discomfort, delivering lines of dry humor and brutally relatable truths. The chorus of that song sticks around, not because it’s sugar-sweet but because it’s honest, loud, and, for some reason, comforting.
“Bare Minimum” has the spirit of 90s alt rock early Weezer charm, a Foo Fighters grit, and maybe a little of Biffy Clyro’s fire but with a modern-day shine. The playing is tight, the shifts are dynamic, and the band chemistry drips from every bar. “Bare Minimum” is about selecting where to spend your energy. And for those who have felt stretched and pulled too thin, this was the battle cry you didn’t know you needed.
With this track, Ten Eighty Trees not only show they’ve got the chops, but they’ve got something to say. That fact drives UK alt-rock a bit crazier with every note on the track, and even though it seems they’re only giving it what they need to, it’s more than enough to set that scene alight with the riot-worthy momentum.
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