The Everything Music power duo, Sex Week Defying Genres with Upper Mezzanine
Label: Grand Jury
Released: August 1, 2025
By Liam Owen
The world is a terrifying place. Uncertainty and fear are powerful emotions that can be utilized by the creative to make compelling art. The Brooklyn-based art rock duo Sex Week has not only made something interesting in their newest EP Upper Mezzanine, they have managed to capture the oscillation between fear and hope that defines this era and showcase the rough edges of life with a playful spirit and expert-level production.
The use of several different sounds and instruments make each song a treat to listen to. “Coach” explores a rich sonic soundscape that continually changes direction. The moody guitar and dark buzzing aura on “Lone Wolf” combined with macabre lyrics like “Butcher me. Cut me open” create an atmosphere that is both haunting and sensual. The industrial clanks and shrills of “Beethoven” mix with the slow seductive vocals and bending guitar line to elicit the feel of a velvet lounge filled with cigarette smoke.
The clashing notes and dominating drum line of “Coat” compete with an invigorating melody to thrilling effect. The final track, “Moneyman,” shatters the bleak atmosphere to provide a glimmer of hope like the credits of a ‘90s horror movie. Listening to this EP feels like walking around Silent Hill in an opiate haze; sounds pop out at differing intervals to punch you in the face one moment and flood you with serotonin the next.
Pearl Amanda Dickson’s vivid storytelling with Richard Orofino’s ability to make structural strangeness recognizable makes Upper Mezzanine a rich mine to explore. It compels one to crawl on their knees into a dungeon with a smile on their face. It is the gift of a persistent and unavoidable fear. “The world is scary right now,” says Dickson, “I’m scared in lots of ways, and I think that omnipresent feeling definitely snuck into Upper Mezzanine.” In the presence of terror, many would run and hide, but Sex Week communicates with it instead and allows it to breathe into the listener. We should be grateful.