PALEJOY aren’t here to mess about. Aberdeen’s finest emo-rock misfits have been making noise for a while, but their latest single, Max Payne Au Chocolat, might just be the moment they crack through the surface. A track that lurches between the melodramatic and the anthemic, it’s a punchy, emotionally fraught ride that feels like it could collapse under its own weight at any second—but never does. Instead, it thrives in the chaos, managing to be both ridiculously fun and genuinely gut-wrenching.
First off, let’s talk about that title. Max Payne Au Chocolat is exactly the kind of knowingly ridiculous name that makes you expect something tongue-in-cheek, maybe even a little gimmicky. But instead of leaning into irony, PALEJOY deliver a track that takes its emotional baggage and throws it in your face. The bouncy riff hooks you in—a proper earworm, somewhere between early 2000s pop-punk sugar rush and the grittier, moodier tones of post-hardcore. It’s got just enough edge to stop it from feeling overly polished, but enough polish to make it dangerously replayable.
The vocal delivery swings between wounded vulnerability and full-throttle, angst-ridden belting. There are moments where you can hear that rawness straining at the edges—like the singer is one note away from completely losing it—and honestly, that’s part of the charm.
PALEJOY know what they’re doing. They lean into heartbreak and emotional betrayal, but without falling into tired clichés. It’s introspective without being self-indulgent, personal without being alienating. The balance is tight, and for the most part, they pull it off.
Production-wise, it’s solid. Ewan Simpson’s recording work keeps everything crisp but not overproduced, and Mark Morrow’s mix ensures the track lands with the right amount of punch. A touch more bite in the rhythm section would elevate this even further.
Overall, Max Payne Au Chocolat is a serious statement from PALEJOY. It’s a song that doesn’t just sit neatly in a genre; it straddles multiple influences, nodding to pop-punk, emo, and post-hardcore without ever feeling derivative. Sure, there are some areas that could be tightened up, but as it stands, this is a track that will get stuck in your head for days. If PALEJOY keep pushing themselves like this, Aberdeen won’t be able to contain them much longer.
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