NOTNORTH TURN UP THE HEAT ON BODEGA CAVIAR WITH A SEDUCTIVE, SWEAT-SOAKED EP

Bodega Caviar, the new EP from NOTNORTH, wastes no time turning up the heat. Recorded at Restoration Sound in Williamsburg, BK, it’s an unapologetic exploration of queer desire, downtown grit, and late-night tension, set against the backdrop of a New York summer that’s equal parts romantic and reckless. Drawing sonic inspiration from The Velvet Underground, The Stooges, and The Runaways, the band blends raw indie rock swagger with theatrical flair and a touch of grime.

This is music for the sweat-slicked, the lovesick, and the emotionally unhinged. From obsessive crush anthems to cinematic moments of existential lust, Bodega Caviar delivers a fever dream of passion, power plays, and self-aware chaos. Let’s dive in track by track:

“I Wanna Be Your Friend” kicks off Bodega Caviar with a bang—literally. It's drenched in sexual tension and fueled by gritty guitar riffs and punchy drums that ooze indie rock swagger. The track doesn’t just flirt with desire—it dives headfirst into it. Lyrically, it’s raw and unapologetically blunt: “I wanna be your friend but you can’t get enough if you’re on top of me. I wanna be your friend but if you’re not hitting it, you’re sick of me.” That’s not just a hookup anthem, it’s the sound of a lopsided relationship teetering on lust alone. Frontman David Alan Thornton delivers every word with urgency and heat. If “I Wanna Be Your Friend” is any hint of what NOTNORTH has in store, we’re in for one hell of a seductive, expletive-laced ride.

“Pretty Pretty” dials back the tempo but turns up the tension. It’s a slow-burning, late-night mood piece that leans into emotional exhaustion and simmering desire. David Alan Thornton’s vocal delivery lands somewhere between Morrissey’s melancholic croon and Davey Havok’s theatrical weariness—a haunting mix that perfectly suits the song’s nocturnal vibe. The rhythm section stays locked in, with a steady, pulsing bassline that subtly raises your heart rate without you even noticing. It’s hypnotic—moody, but never dull. And then comes that guitar solo—an arresting centerpiece that slices through the haze with raw, magnetic energy. It doesn’t overstay its welcome, but it demands your attention. Equal parts seductive and desperate, it’s the kind of solo that grabs you by the collar and won’t let go. Lyrically, it’s all smoky glances and cryptic cravings. “Little shiver, little shake, little pieces of glass of your spine” suggests a kind of fragmented, almost obsessive intimacy—passion served in small, dangerous doses. If you’re into IMA Robot or anything that sounds like it was written under the influence of lust, insomnia, and regret, “Pretty Pretty” will hit just right. It’s a highly sexual track—dark, dreamy, and impossible to shake.

The third track on the album, “Looking,” is rock and roll at its finest—raw, gritty, and unapologetically cool. It doesn’t aim for perfection, and that’s exactly why it works. There’s a swagger to this one—a strut-in-scuffed-boots kind of energy that grabs you by the collar and doesn’t let go. Lyrically, “Looking” paints vivid, ironic scenes with lines like “Champagne in a dive bar. Chauffeur in a subway car. Bloomingdale’s at a truck stop.” It’s a sharp juxtaposition of luxury and lowlife—an exploration of beauty in unlikely places. Like couture in a convenience store, it’s poetic but unfiltered, with a wink and a sneer. The hook—“Babe, what are you looking for?”—lands like a challenge, a taunt, and an existential question all at once. It lingers long after the chorus fades. Musically, the track’s got surprises: a cowbell that somehow works, and a piano-led bridge that adds a flash of unexpected elegance. It’s a moment of clarity in the chaos, showcasing the band’s musical instincts and attention to detail. “Looking” feels built for a music video—something cinematic, greasy, and neon-lit at 3 AM. Fingers crossed it gets the visual treatment it deserves, because this track is too damn cool to stay audio-only.

“I Want You,” the second-to-last track on Bodegia Caviar, plunges even deeper into themes of raw, unfiltered desire. It’s not a request—it’s a demand. A craving. A commandment barked from a dark corner of the soul. David Alan Thornton’s vocals are front and center here—urgent, forceful, and impossible to ignore. There’s no subtlety in the repeated refrain “I want you”—just obsession, plain and simple. The repetition becomes its own kind of hypnosis, like a mantra chanted by someone who won’t be satisfied until they’ve consumed whatever (or whoever) they’re after. Lyrically, the track feels like a seductive power play—an invitation to surrender, or maybe a warning that resistance is futile. It’s clear Thornton isn’t just yearning—he’s hunting. Musically, it hits all the right notes for a song you'd hear blasting from the jukebox of a dimly lit dive bar, the kind of tune that makes your cheap whiskey burn a little smoother. Gritty guitars, a groove that sways like hips in slow motion, and a pulse that never lets up—“I Want You” is a late-night anthem for the lust-drunk and love-damaged.

“So Hot Girl” kicks off with the unmistakable energy of a 2003 indie banger—think The Strokes or Interpol—but quickly swerves back into grittier rock and roll territory. It flirts with cool detachment, then dives straight into heat and urgency. Spoken-word lines like “You’ve got me waiting, and I can’t forgive you” and “You’ve got me watching” paint a vivid picture: someone pacing in a sweltering apartment, sweat dripping, desire building. The air’s thick with tension, and the walls are practically vibrating with unspoken intentions. Vocally, it’s an interesting cocktail—equal parts swagger and restraint. There’s a kind of tonal mash-up happening here, and while we’re not totally sold at first, something tells us this is one of those tracks that creeps into your brain and stays there. Give it a couple of spins, and it'll likely hit just right. It’s yet another undeniably sexual entry in what’s shaping up to be a very steamy EP. “So Hot Girl” doesn’t just talk about heat, it radiates it.

With Bodega Caviar, NOTNORTH doesn’t just dip into themes of lust, tension, and vulnerability; they cannonball into them, fully clothed and unbothered. It’s a short but potent collection of songs that manage to feel cinematic and unfiltered at once, teetering between garage grit and emotional grandiosity. Each track explores a different flavor of desire—messy, obsessive, euphoric, and sometimes downright dangerous—and they all bleed together into a portrait of a band unafraid to bare teeth and soul in equal measure.

Equal parts swagger and sincerity, Bodega Caviar cements NOTNORTH as a band to watch, especially if your idea of romance involves late nights, sticky floors, and heartbreak with eyeliner. It’s not clean, and it’s definitely not safe. But it is unforgettable.