ARCY DRIVE – THE PIT ALBUM REVIEW
Arcy Drive’s latest album, The Pit, is a refreshing sound from the indie-rock group’s free-spirited energy we’ve come to know and love. From Northport, Long Island, Arcy Drive is supported by guitarist/vocalist Nick Mateyunas, guitarist Austin Jones, bassist Patrick Helrigel and drummer Brook Tuozzo, who all embody a musical harmony that is rooted in genuine friendship and creating shared memories while they are on the road.
In 2022, they released their debut single “Roll My Stone” and the following year released their first EP “Beach Plum,” further defining their sound in the attic-rock genre. Their popularity quickly grew after teasing and putting out singles such as “The Itch” in late 2024. Their debut album The Pit, released on April 18, encompasses a garage-band youthfulness and retains melodies that feel warm and comforting.
UNDER THE RUG
Arcy Drive’s first single, “Under the Rug,” sets the emotional tone of the album by recalling past and buried memories. Written while camping in northern Georgia, the band spent the night jamming to this song in a cabin, being very loud. So loud, in fact, that they hung up blankets throughout their cabin to reduce the noise and potential complaints, they said in an Instagram post.
The track starts with a heavy, upbeat drum repetition that collides into a groovy bassline. In the chorus, Mateyunas belts, “All that I need is never enough / Tell me I’m thinking too much,” echoing internal conflicts caused by overthinking and the frustration of the inability to feel satisfied and content.
Pushing these intrusive feelings “under the rug” creates a buildup of emotions that will eventually have to be confronted. As the track builds throughout, the drums and guitar culmination melt and slow together, where Mateyunas switches his vocals to a distant yell, “Dust, dagger, chuck it / Under the rug.” This captures the focal point of the song of confronting unwanted feelings.
LOUIE
“Louie” is the album's most fun and feel-good track, powered by a punchy bassline and the satisfaction of a hint of cowbell in the background. The song is an instant joy that feels inspired by ‘90s indie-rock influences. The carefree vocals dance on top of the groove of the bass, where the shout of “Hey Louie” supported with backing vocals transports you into someone's garage late at night, where everyone knows the words and (everyone should)!
THRIFT STORE
Another light-hearted track from this album, “Thrift Store,” feels like a short story or a bit that is also perfectly illustrated in its music video. The band wrote this song during a freezing Nantucket winter, bassist Helrigel felt inspired to sing a magical bird call noise, which made it into the final recording. From Arcy Drive’s Instagram post, they recounted the moment they wrote the song in one of their many adventurous jam sessions, calling it their “most memorable night.” The spontaneity and the passion shown through the collaboration of each band member show how free-spirited the group is, and that energy is shared heavily in this song.
RECIPE
With “Recipe,” Arcy Drive delivers a reflection of uncertainty that simultaneously feels comforting, established through the layers of airy strumming of the acoustic guitar and the electric ambiance that act as the ingredients for the lyrics of this track.
The lyrics ask for guidance through lines like, “Think I want a recipe / Someone help me with the items that I need,” which describes the feelings of being unsure of how to ask for help and feeling completely lost but hopeful enough to ask for a sense of direction.
THE ITCH
“The Itch” is a coming-of-age anthem, reflecting on the past and still finding peace in knowing that it’s okay to not have it all figured out. Opening with a bubbly guitar, the drums set a head-bopping tempo while the twang and vibrato of the guitar illustrate the classic sunny indie rock and garage-band grit that Arcy Drive perfectly resembles.
This single was written by Mateyunas when he was experiencing the uncertainties of being in your early 20s, shown through the lines “Tossing our youth, and we’ll never not care / Never not scared, but we’re happy as hell.” This highlights the tensions of conforming to the pipeline of going to college and getting a good job while at the same time still having youthful energy and dreams that contradict that life. The fear of growing up and adulthood is a shared experience that can be comforting, but that feeling of wanting something more out of your life and making it your own is known as “the itch.”
INCHIN’ UP
“Inchin’ Up” is the reassurance listeners need after listening to “The Itch,” showing that we are doing the best with what we are given at the moment. Starting the song with the lyrics, “You’re just working with the time that’s in your day / And never mind the past you stay,” is a consolation in easing anxieties and is a reminder to live through each moment instead of worrying about the future. The vocal harmonies in the song create unity not only in the lyrics but also shared feelings of uncertainty.
LIGHTS FALL
A favorite song from this album is “Lights Fall,” an electrifying slow burn that starts with introspection and turns into a passionate energy towards the song's ending. The track opens with a fading electric guitar and steady drum buildup to set a slower tone.
Lyrically, this song cuts deep in exposing the fall of a relationship through the lyrics, “Well you know it’s a guarantee that you’re giving me things that I don’t need,” capturing the feeling of being in a relationship that no longer serves you. As the song unfolds, layers of guitars come clashing perfectly together, trapping the listener in its passionate energy, which brings out Mateyunas' raw vocals singing “Lights fall and they fell on me,” which is an illustration of the weight of the realization that he is changing and growing.
OAK TREE (DAYDREAM)
Arcy Drive’s first release of the year, "Oak Tree (Daydream)," is a song that is soaked in sunlight and feels loved by a community. The song is warm air seeping through a cracked window, and the harmonies at the end swirl around like a group singing together around a campfire, specifically felt in the lines, “What a day for a daydream / What a night for a daydream.”
Arcy Drive’s chemistry is absolute, with the layered harmonies and playful harmonica carrying the rhythm in the background, echoing that of bittersweet feelings everyone can resonate with. This song is a gentle hug that we all need, and as life is constantly changing, this is a reminder to find comfort in the chaos, especially through friendship and community.
CREATURES OF THE NIGHT
Nearing the end of the album, “Creatures Of The Night” is a slow, acoustic-filled ballad that is meditative and delicate. It creates a dreamscape of lying on cool grass, looking at the stars with no real sense of time. The song is a reflection based on the lyrics, “Watching all of those plans go by / Watching all of those people go by,” that speaks to the heartache of growing up and coming to terms with accepting change. There is a sense of longing for the past, but this song provides peace to surrender to the uncertainty. Like many other songs on this album, Arcy Drive reinforces the idea to feel it all, lean into our emotions, and learn to let go.
The Pit is a scrapbook of the struggles of navigating early adulthood, but feeling comfort through shared experiences of feeling the fear and nostalgia that comes with new freedom. Each track on this album feels like a memory and a feeling that we get transported to, and as listeners, we can feel the energy and connections between the band members of Arcy Drive that sound and feel electric. The attic-rock instruments and folk-infused vocals make the storytelling in their lyrics their own. Most importantly, Arcy Drive is a band rooted in authenticity, friendship, and the free spirit of adventure that brings the sun out on a rainy day.
Arcy Drive announced The Pit Tour starting this fall, where they will be traveling on their tour bus (named Jenny) to more than 30 locations in the U.S. with supporting bands Foxtide and Mercury. In addition, they recently announced they’ll be touring and headlining festivals in Ireland/U.K. in May to support Cassia.
Check out their 2025 tour dates and dive into The Pit available on all streaming services.
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