In late 2020 I had a family member going through a major surgery in New York City. At that time, I was unable to be upstairs in the hospital as there was only one family member allowed in the room, due to COVID. I remember sitting in the foyer of the hospital, listening to Distance From Zero on repeat. The band’s post punk poetry brought me a lot of solace in those moments of despair. Their latest album, Flow State, brings me some of those same feelings. It is a stunning new album from England’s Distance From Zero. The band is led by SJ Collier and his partner Donna Marie-Stevens. Together, they’ve created a special project that is one of my favorites in recent memory.
What strikes you first about Flow State isn’t just that it’s post-punk — it’s how deeply lived-in it feels. This isn’t a band checking off genre boxes; it’s a duo wrestling with emotion, society, and that thorny sweet spot where the personal meets the political. Distance From Zero throw themselves into every beat and lyric, and you can hear it.
From the opening surge of “Holding On”, you’re in it with them — this isn’t confident swagger, it’s tenacity with an edge. The song captures that moment when you’re stretched thin but still refusing to let go. It’s honest, a little rough around the edges, and immediately relatable.
Right after, “Burning Soul” twists the idea of connection on its head. It’s not a romantic idea; it’s combustion — a love song that sounds like reckoning. Lyrics about being torn apart and made whole again are delivered with a rawness that sidesteps cliché and lands in something much deeper.
“Nothing’s Changed” is the album’s philosophical itch. The refrain feels almost accusatory, a shout into the void about watching the same cycles repeat. And yet the track itself propels forward — punchy, insistent, unwilling to just sit and watch things stay the same.
On “Men Putting Words in the Mouths of Gods,” Distance From Zero sharpen their critique. Instead of shouting slogans, they dissect how language and power intertwine. It’s one of the most compelling moments here, delivering commentary that’s smart and pointed, without ever feeling preachy.
At the emotional core sits “Save Me (From Myself).” This track flips the gaze inward and doesn’t flinch. It’s a confession, a plea, and an acknowledgment that our inner turmoil can be just as real and just as brutal as anything outside.
And then “Never Bring Us Down” is a late album highlight filled with defiance, not false optimism — a statement you can feel in your chest, not just hear.
Flow State is an album that doesn’t ask you to zone out — it asks you to pay attention. And the more you do, the more it stays with you. You can buy the album here.
For fans of: The Chameleons, Wire, John Maus, Protomartyr — bands that mix cerebral lyricism with raw post-punk energy.
Tracks:
- Men Putting Words in the Mouths of Gods
- I Believe in You
- Save Me From Myself
- Alright
- Holding On
- Nothing’s Changed
- Class War
- More of the Same
- Another Day Another Way
- Never Bring Us Down
- I Believe in You
- Don’t Stare at the Sun
- Worshipful Day