Superchunk - "Bruised Lung"

Superchunk has always excelled at distilling raw feeling into under-three-minute bursts of tightly wound melody, and “Bruised Lung” is no exception. The veteran Chapel Hill institution taps into that trademark mix of nervy energy and open-hearted earnestness, delivering a track that sounds like it could’ve been unearthed from the On the Mouth sessions—if the band hadn’t spent the last three decades getting even better at being themselves.

“Bruised Lung” opens with a thrumming, anxious guitar figure that feels like the audio equivalent of pacing circles around your apartment, mulling over every little thing you should’ve said or done. Then Mac McCaughan’s voice cuts through, weathered but still unmistakably elastic, carrying that emotional quiver he’s perfected—equal parts frustration, self-reflection, and subtle optimism. The rhythm section keeps everything taut; it’s that classic Superchunk sprint where the urgency isn’t frantic, just purposeful.

Lyrically, “Bruised Lung” is full of tiny gut punches—the kind of lines that land not because they’re dramatic, but because they feel lived-in. McCaughan sketches out a portrait of emotional overexertion, the toll of constantly shouting into the void, literal or metaphorical. It’s a song about feeling worn down by the world and still jolting yourself forward anyway, a theme that fits seamlessly within the band’s late-career renaissance.

What really seals it is the chorus, where the guitars bloom into this soaring, bittersweet hook that seems to lift the whole track a few inches off the ground. Superchunk has always had a way of making tension sound triumphant, and “Bruised Lung” captures that beautifully. It’s tight, melodic, and packed with feeling—proof that the band’s well of inspiration remains impressively deep.

Fans of the band’s classic catalog will feel instantly at home here, but “Bruised Lung” isn’t simply nostalgia fodder. Instead, it’s another reminder that Superchunk continues to channel the same bright, combustible spark that made them icons in the first place—while writing songs that resonate just as strongly right now.

You can purchase “Bruised Lung” via Bandcamp.