DS Album Review: Sincere Engineer – “Probable Claws”

Deanna Belos, or perhaps known as her elegant ‘nom de plume’ Sincere Engineer, releases her fourth feature album this Friday, entitled Probable Claws. This album is no doubt a masterclass in what it’s like to be a fiery, valiant Midwestern girl with an indestructible desire to write songs for those who seek refuge in feisty, punk-shrouded records.

The Chicago punk-pop band has taken the scene by storm ever since her debut album Rhombitian – a 2017 punk album consisting of hits like “Shattering,” “Overbite,” “1K Rats,” and last but not least: “Corn Dog Sonnet No.7”: a song that would soon become woven into the quilt of Sincere Engineer forever. This song completely enveloped the fandom, leading to every Sincere Engineer show having at least 47 people dressed in corn dog suits – which, by the way, should DEFINITELY be how *every* punk show starts!

But Probable Claws is a testament to the extensively beautiful journey that has led Belos to this point in her career. To me, Probable Claws encapsulates everything I love about Sincere Engineer. There is angst, there is humor, but above all – it’s Deanna. It’s punk humanity at its core!

A lot of what I’ve loved so much about Sincere Engineer over the years is how much I relate to Belos and her music, how there are so many other emo punk girls who sought after an artist who captures their emotions as well as one who demonstrates how the scene is led by so many wicked female artists.

The first three released singles off the album, ‘Cooler,’ ‘Twist my Tongue,’ and ‘Fast Forward, Rewind,’ are quintessentially “Sincere Engineer.” ‘Cooler’ tackles anxiety, stress, and self-consciousness, but also touches on everyday inconveniences like getting a speeding ticket or picking up ice from the gas station. There’s a narrative here that Belos creates that is so ‘midwest emo’ in a way – it’s humorous, it’s relatable, and it weaves both of those things together to create something that will certainly remain on repeat for listeners.

Her second release, ‘Twist my Tongue,’ has a KILLER second chorus, along with background instrumentals that make me want to get up and dance immediately. It ends with sick overlapping vocals that make you feel like you’re surrounded by Sincere Engineer – and if you’ve ever been to a show, you’d know that feeling very well!

The last single released before the full album this Friday, entitled ‘Fast Forward, Rewind,’ is a quick-paced, electrifying song that satisfies punk enthusiasts’ need to go crazy and mosh wherever they can. This song is the epitome of young punk rockers! Swift, loud, and a spirit set ablaze to the melody of ‘Fast Forward, Rewind!”

The next three songs off the new album, ‘Pilot Light,’ ‘DNA,’ and ‘LOL,’ are absolutely saturated with the Sincere Engineer essence! ‘Pilot Light’ is one of the strongest off the albums for me, it starts off so quickly and with so much fury and gusto, followed by a small, lower-paced section after the 2-minute mark that creates a nice lull that builds up to the big finish at the end. ‘DNA’s’ opening line, “I didn’t know what I was thinking / pinched my nose and jumped in the deep end” reminds me a lot of ‘Shattering’s’ line “I’m gonna jump in Lake Michigan and swim out as far as I can” off of her first album, Rhombithian. After the first four songs, ‘LOL’ is so tranquil, so emotional, and very heartfelt in a way that works as a lovely break after its first few fast-paced tracks.

The next song, ‘Hallucinogenic,’ is SO quintessential emo. It’s screaming, it’s a loss of self, and the objects and people around you – it is ultimately an immaculate tribute to what it’s like to live in the real world with so many different mental obstacles. The song explains that Belos is seeing colors, people, and surroundings that aren’t real. It almost feels like a testament to how insane your mind can treat you and what it can make up. The song itself is upbeat, it’s hyped-up, it’s head-banging-inducing: you name it! ‘Hallucinogenic’ is a really lovely tribute to how the human brain can play tricks on you so many times, but you must persist!

The next 3, ‘Arbovitate Evergreen,’ ‘The Perfect Crime,’ and ‘Settle Up With Your Downfall,’ are slower paced, with the slowest being ‘Arbovitate Evergreen.’ In her last three albums, Belos combines those upbeat, high-paced songs with gutwrenchingly real lyrics – and the combination between those lyrics and those background instrumentals is the dictionary definition of what makes her type of Chicago punk so special. Over the course of these three songs, though different in their own ways, they all certainly have a commonality: rich, deep, and satisfyingly woven vocals with background music that supports the theme of each song. ‘Arbovitate Evergreen’ is slower paced, but the lyrics are unbearingly emotional. It’s the tearjerker of the album, hands down!

As for ‘The Perfect Crime,’ and ‘Settle Up With Your Downfall’, they both perform at a more medium pace, which gives you the chance to really appreciate the INSANE riffs and melodic choices made by Belos and her team. ‘Settle Up With Your Downfall’ is angry, it’s loud and it’s flooding with emotion. To me, it feels like it’s Belos reaching the point where she realizes that she cannot physically get through to this person, or people, that she refers to in this song. Allowing her the space to vent and make sure that she avoids the setups, like the metaphorical lyric, ‘The glass is half full, / but it’s poison.” The ending of this song will undoubtedly KILL when she debuts her live performance of Probable Claws in her upcoming tour named after the new record.

Lastly comes the song ‘Dynamite,’ which premieres a completely different type of style for Belos – one that is something truly special. Sincere Engineer has a very distinct sound, and has mastered how to write and perform those songs with the same gusto they were written with. This song is SO different from what we fans are used to, but the change in pace, the genre switch, and the loveliness of Belos’ vocals cannot be done justice in this review. This is an unequivocally, absolutely immaculate Sincere Engineer record – capturing new sounds, and no doubt new attention, and new support from all over the country for the band and all who contributed. This album is an absolute 5-star record and as of TODAY – Friday, June 26th – it is officially RELEASED ON ALL STREAMING PLATFORMS! 

You can find Belos on Spotify as Sincere Engineer, on Bandcamp at this link, here on Apple Music, and last but not least, join their lovely Discord here. You can also find them on Instagram at @SincereEngineer! Support their newest record Probable Claws and find them on tour at this link: sincereengineer.com!