Protomartyr returns with scathing new single LP

Protomartyr is back, bringing a fresh dose of existential dread and sonic splendor with their new album Hotel Usona. After a pause, the Detroit post-punk outfit has finally released a full-length record, marking a significant return to studio and cementing their status as provocateurs navigating the modern landscape.

The album arrived on September 25th via Domino, accompanied by the lead single “Sounds We Cannot Hear,” which features star comedian and actor Nate Varrone in the accompanying video. This single serves as an immediate immersion into the band’s core theme: the alienation and anxiety of contemporary life.

Underpinning the music is a striking conceptual framework. Recorded with producer Dave Fridmann at his Tarbox Road Studios in western New York, Hotel Usona is less a collection of songs and more an exploration of modern decay. Vocalist Joe Casey crafts a vision where America itself is depicted as a crumbling hotel, with each of the nine tracks occupying a room haunted by its own uneasy guest.

Musically, the album expands Protomartyr’s already formidable palette. The sound is rich with tension, drawing inspiration from Middle Eastern music and 1950s exotica. This layered texture was amplified by Fridmann’s expansive production, complemented by additional horn contributions from his son, Jon.

The sheer ambition of the record caught the attention of rock royalty. Detroit icon Iggy Pop praised the album, calling its scope “Wagnerian” and marvelling at the band’s ability to shift “rhythms and harmonics very, very smoothly.” Pop singled out Casey’s vocal performance and one particular lyric—”We got a bad review”—as a moment he wished he had written himself.

Pop further commented on the instrumentation, noting that the sound was modal and chromatic, reminiscent of forgotten Celtic war horns. He added that Casey possessed a beautiful voice but maintained a necessary edge, staying “perverse enough to keep things interesting when he wants to get petulant or a little bitchy.”

Following this powerful release, Protomartyr is setting their sights on an extensive world tour. Starting October 19th in Phoenix, the band will embark on a run across North America, the U.K., and Europe. The itinerary includes a high-profile stop on October 31st supporting the Jesus and Mary Chain in Austin.