Boston indie rock outfit PIMMER have released “The Doomsday Clock“, the first single off their upcoming LP, I Wish I Could Care. The new track marks a deliberate shift toward high-energy brevity with nearly all of the album’s 14 tracks clocking in at around two-and-a-half minutes. The fastest song in PIMMER’s catalog to date, “The Doomsday Clock,” pushes the envelope at 186 BPM, yet establishes a primal swing that “invites head-bobbing and humming along,” according to the band.
The forthcoming album’s second single, “Garageband Glory,” scheduled for a mid-June release, sounds a bit like the title would suggest: barely two minutes of “glorious, full-throttle rock in a major tonality.” Fans of their debut can expect a more electrified sound this time around – guitars are cranked louder, harder-hitting drums, and more intense vocals. While “Halcyon 303” embraced the more acoustic-based arrangements, this collection showcases punchy, high-intensity rock compositions arranged for maximum impact.
Looking ahead, the band’s Sanford Schaffer hints at a potential shift on the third album: “2026 could bring about some musical changes to the program… Already a few rough mixes are evolving into longer, slower, more acoustically-based compositions and being met with general encouragement, especially from the elder generations. Either way, parting with familiarity is never easy, but more often than not, things turn out for the better.”
PIMMER, founded by Sanford Schaffer in 2024, draws from a diverse tapestry of influences: From Bob Dylan to Elvis Costello to The Jam; from Cheap Trick to Husker Du; from The Police to The Clash to Tom Petty to AC/DC – their sound blends various elements of these artists into something distinctive. PIMMER tracks fuse multiple sonic influences and tensions, creating a musical collage that’s somehow both familiar and fresh.
The band’s debut, “Halcyon 303,” released on Mint400 Records last summer, became an unexpected success. Propelled by two singles and a video, the album garnered nearly half-a-million streams across Spotify and YouTube, earning positive reception from critics and radio stations alike. Notable music publications Vanyaland and Earmilk both gave the album high praise, cementing PIMMER’s place in the national indie rock landscape.
Recently, Sanford has expanded PIMMER into a trio, bringing aboard two fellow Bostonians – drummer Izzy Davis and bassist/backing vocalist Jack Rooks–both former Berklee College students (one of whom happens to be Sanford’s nephew). Currently in rehearsals, the new lineup is scheduled to record an EP in June and has September performances booked.