Succulents channel C86 energy on new single "Work It Out"

Succulents released the single "Work It Out" on August 18, a three-minute piece of fuzzy indie pop from the boy-girl duo of Laurie Hulme and Lucy Ridges. Clash reviewer Robin Murray drew comparisons to early Belle & Sebastian releases and the more melodic side of The Moldy Peaches, calling the song's lo-fi charm almost child-like in its appeal.

Murray also pointed to Swedish indie pop group The Concretes as a reference point, framing "Work It Out" as an ode to people with differing opinions somehow managing to get along, a theme the band leaned into directly in their own comments on the song.

The band described "Work It Out" as being about conflict resolution, and about the strange numbness that can set in when someone is surrounded by constant disagreement, whether that comes from politics, protests or online arguments. "The protagonist is almost taking the attitude of 'I can't be bothered with this,'" the band said, "while knowing that sometimes avoiding conflict doesn't necessarily make it disappear."

The band pointed to one line in particular as central to the song's meaning: "'Be careful what you wish for' is probably the most important line in the song," they said, a note of caution sitting underneath the track's otherwise sunny, three-minute runtime.

The single arrives as a standalone release rather than tied to an announced album, and Clash's report gave no further detail on what, if anything, Succulents plan to follow it with, leaving the indie duo's next move, like the rest of "Work It Out," tracked on the release calendar for now.