NE-HI is a quartet that came up through Chicago’s DIY ranks, first forming to score a friend’s film at DePaul University and eventually parlaying that into raucous house shows. But even as the band has graduated to the indie minor leagues–they’ve toured with both the Black Lips and 2016 breakouts Car Seat Headrest–NE-HI has retained some of that off-the-wall urgency. It’s all there in “Stay Young,” a cut from Offers, the group’s forthcoming second album. The song title explicitly spells out their carpe diem attitude, and the chiming guitars point back to fellow DIY standard bearers like R.E.M. and Wire. NE-HI aren’t reinventing any playbooks, but they hit their marks so thoroughly you can’t help but be swept along with each beer-raising chorus.
“Stay Young” appears on Offers, out February 24 via Grand Jury. NE-HI plays the Sidewinder on Saturday, January 14.
–Art Levy // host, Sunday 10 a.m. – 2 p.m., producer, My KUTX
