Aberdeen may be known for its mediocre weather and grey skylines, but alternative rock trio Palejoy have a surprisingly vibrant take on emo music, injecting it with pop punk’s upbeat, high energy while delivering serious, angsty lyrics.
Their latest release, ‘What a Sad Little Life Jane,’ takes its name from the iconic Come Dine With Me moment, but it’s now far more than a viral quote; it’s an absolute emo banger.
Made up of members from Broadsea and Alkanes, Palejoy draw from personal experiences and takes cues from bands like Hot Mulligan, Microwave and Basement. The result is a compelling blend of heart-wrenching emotion, all carried by raw guitars and crashing drums. This creates a compelling juxtaposition between melodic finesse and gritty intensity.
This sound continues into ‘What a Sad Little Life Jane’ which is built around self-reflection, weaving together imagery that blurs the line between living with illness and feeling worn down by societal expectations.
The track doesn’t separate the physical weight of sickness from the exhaustion of conformity; rather, it treats them as parallel struggles that bleed into one another. Lines like “The preachers out on the street / They ask me what I believe / I believe in all that I’ve seen / It’s life and cancer…” perfectly capture this duality, suggesting that both illness and society pressures feel inescapable.
With this in mind, the track heavily features emo’s emphasis on melody and emotional vulnerability, but is undercut by the post-hardcore's raw intensity. The cleaner guitar lines and vocal delivery create moments of fragility and openness, but with a subtle optimistic feel from pop punk undertones. Only to be disrupted by harsher backing vocals introducing more abrasive textures to create a push and pull juxtaposition, mimicking that internal battle.
This interplay is central to the song’s tension: the sweetness invites introspection, while the post-hardcore resists resolution. The use of repetition becomes a structural device, amplifying the sense of entrapment. Each motif feels heavier as though circling the same wound without release, a hallmark of emo’s fixation on emotional stasis reframed with post-hardcore visceral punch.
‘What a Sad Little Life Jane’ is a powerful statement from Palejoy. It is a track that captures the complexities of inner turmoil through honesty and sonic dynamism. The blend between Emo, pop punk and post-hardcore is seamless and cathartic, making way for a new wave of alternative music.
Ana Joy King