Dirty Nice brace themselves for love with “This Is Gonna Hurt”

Alt-pop duo Dirty Nice have spent the past few years carving out their own unique corner in the music world. Their 2021 debut Lobster, featuring Wet Leg collaboration "Sunshine End Times," first introduced Charlie Pelling's charming mix of off-kilter melodies and classic songwriting chops which call to mind fellow British eccentrics Metronomy or a jankier Phoenix. It's the pair's visual identity that stands them apart, however, with animator Mark Thompson bringing a lo-fi cartoon approach that has made their TikTok account a must follow and created a series of great artworks and videos. Pelling also composed the music for excellent cult comedy series Don't Hug Me I'm Scared, placing Dirty Nice in a niche spot between the worlds of music and comedy.

Today Dirty Nice return with their first new material of the year, double single "This Is Gonna Hurt"/ "Sophie, What's Up?" The video for the former can be found below. The song's themes of love, affection, fear, and trepidation are explored by Thompson via footage of humans bonding with his cutest creations. Who doesn't want to hug a big green dog? Not me, that's for sure.

Speaking to The FADER, Pelling says of the song: “’This Is Gonna Hurt’ is a love song about the vulnerability of falling in love and accepting that in opening yourself up to someone you’re also opening yourself up to a particularly potent form of pain. It’s worth the risk though, right? ... right?!”