With First New Single in 15 years, The Julius Airwave Returns to the Power-Pop Fore

Whether it’s a career comeback or an inevitable resolve, the return of the Julius Airwave with their new single “Slow Erode” is an object lesson in the ebb and flow of youth, music, relationships, the viability of balancing the two, arguably love and time.

Some 20 years ago, the band were precociously young: dapper dressers with crooked neckties, popping off crunchy, vital power pop to a decidedly loyal fanbase. They worked the room and the scene and their work paid off. Then, in a totally allowable move, the band called it quits. Vocalist Rick Colado found continued DIY success as rickoLus and, depending on your bandwidth and age range, the Julius Airwave were either exalted or unknown.

Now they are back with “Slow Erode.” The band— Colado on vocals and guitar; bassist Chris Gibson, and drummer Mark Hubbard—are deft at directing the clout of power-pop to the tease of collapse. That’s not to say they are shambling or coy, but they are decisive in opting for emotion over anthem.

When Colado sings, “Driving downtown / she’s got the radio loud / something in the way /what you said yesterday, slips away,” we are left wondering if the protagonist is healing their heart or fleeing the site of the original wounding. A screeching flamenco-meets- Sonic Youth shuts down the mellow strum of “Slow Erode,” showing the band’s influence and ability to shift their emotional intent.

• Listen to “Slow Erode” by The Julius Airwave