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Feb 25, 2021 By Caleb Campbell Photography by James Morano

In today’s music landscape genres are often blurred and the barriers they signify are slowly being torn down. Long Island indie rock band Gamblers’ particular brand of boundary-pushing might be less immediately apparent but there are still surprising inspirations behind their 2020 debut record Small World. After cutting his teeth in local punk acts, frontman Michael McManus found new callings in the world of hip hop, producing for Meek Mill and Heems. Envisioned from the perspective of a perpetual outsider, Small World marries live indie rock energy, Long Island grit, and, hip hop’s collaborative beatmaking sensibility. Gamblers have now returned with a new video for one of the record’s highlights, “Corinthian Order,” premiering with Under the Radar.

Wilco fans will probably quickly recognize the interpolation of “Jesus, Etc” from the opening lyrics of “Corinthian Order,” but that hook breaks down and shifts as the song goes on. It falls into an uncanny valley between familiar melody and new territory, a fascinating tension that Gamblers bring to life. Plucky synths and breezy guitar lines set an easygoing mood but just behind the hooks lies a bitter story of a deteriorating relationship. McManus’ buoyant croon largely masks the melancholy, but leaves just a hint of forlorn longing as he sings, “It’s alright/It’s okay/I’d probably disappoint you again someday.” The accompanying video makes that element all the more evident as the protagonist is cast in black in white amidst a lively house party.

McManus says of the track, “This song originally stemmed from a hip hop beat we made that sampled Wilco’s “Jesus, Etc.” We ended up liking the loop so much that we ditched the sample and replayed everything in more of a fleshed out live band way. The song utilizes a light interpolation of the Wilco melody and the lyrics are based on a long distance relationship that is clearly fading over time. For the video, our friends at the now-defunct DIY space “Suburbia” in Brooklyn let us use their venue, and we did a one-shot slow motion walkthrough of a party. As the protagonist is moving through the party, he’s in black and white referencing the loneliness he’s experiencing.” Check out the video below and stream Small World, out now.