B-Side Guys

Moon Sand Land’s latest single pulses with the nervous energy of a championship match, its shuffling rhythms and angular riffs creating a sonic ping-pong match between Madchester swagger and Brooklyn indie grit. Produced by Rain Johannes at Goose Room Studios, “Table Tennis” marks a bold evolution for the five-piece outfit, seamlessly blending their self-dubbed “future classic rock” with the loose-limbed grooves of Happy Mondays and early Blur.

The track’s genius lies in its extended metaphor, comparing internal dialogue to a relentless table tennis rally. “Two strokes, back and forth / Plays the tables on the weekend,” frontman Jason Ross declares over syncopated beats and sharp guitar work, while the narrative unfolds through increasingly frantic verses about “cold sweat” and “pure agitation.” The band’s instrumental interplay mirrors this tension, with Daniel Lerner and Alex Scheitinger’s guitars trading sharp volleys across the stereo field.

Johannes’s production captures the raw energy of the band’s live dynamic while incorporating dance-floor ready elements that push their sound into new territory. The rhythm section of Taylor Hurt and Maggie Bishop provides a muscular foundation that simultaneously nods to post-punk’s angular precision and Baggy’s fluid groove. This evolution feels natural rather than forced, suggesting Moon Sand Land has found their sweet spot between studied homage and forward-thinking innovation.

The lyrics build to a fever pitch of self-examination, with lines like “Doubtful always in cycles / Trembling before my daily dues” revealing the exhausting nature of constant self-meditation. The song’s structure itself mimics this circular thinking, with verses that loop back on themselves before breaking into new territory in its climactic final section.

As the lead single from their upcoming EP, “Table Tennis” suggests Moon Sand Land is ready to transcend their slacker rock origins without abandoning their essence. It’s a confident serve from a band that’s clearly found their groove in Brooklyn’s fertile indie scene, promising even more evolution to come on their February 20th EP release.