Together We Ride

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 using 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.

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.