Mumbai three-piece The Lightyears Explode has frequently leant toward rock and pop-punk in their past releases; what has really characterized their sound is a willingness to play around and a charming sense of humour. Their new single ‘Satire’ features references to a bunch of styles, but with a confidence that only comes from experience.

There are a bunch of elements from different eras and genres here. The bassline has the envelope filter-like ‘quack’ that any Bootsy Collins fan (or any other late 70s funk-head) would approve of. The drums are similarly derivative; the good old cannon snares and punchy kicks are relatively current given the return of 80s sounds in pop music (a lot to do with some small up-and-comer called The Weeknd). The guitars and vocals are cleaner than you might expect given the band’s usage of riffs, but the raw sounds grow on you. Of course, all that would have no meaning without a good song to come out of it, and the band delivers with a strong hook and an addictive (if repetitive) ‘main’ riff. ‘Satire’ is carried hard by its chorus, which is guaranteed to stick in your head. To be fair, there isn’t much else to explore here; the band knows its strength and plays to it.

‘Satire’ is curious in that it shows The Lightyears Explode stepping away from helter-skelter head-nodding rock to something that is more rounded. While ‘Satire’ does everything right, it does forgo the playfulness and spirit of fun that’s all over their earlier work. That exuberance added something tangible, and it is a bit missed here. But there’s no denying the song is a banger, and one listen is enough for it to make a long-term home in your head.