The keen reader might remember Chris Quesnel from a feature we published in late 2025, praising ‘Dance in the Bar’ as “threading the fine line between nostalgia and euphoria, borrowing from popular post-punk allure and hints of emo flair.” Steeped in Quesnel’s punk influences, the song felt electrifying and hard-hitting, but also meaningful and introspective. Such an ethos is now somewhat replaced by a newly-found perspective on production, with Chris ditching electric guitars in favour of tender acoustic ones and moody electronica.
‘Is This Love’ is the perfect evidence of that. Even in such a change of direction, the project’s quaint emo character is always present, here showcasing Quesnel’s vivid and raw emotional fervour. A minimalistic electronic beat perfectly ties together the sparse acoustic arpeggios and Quesnel’s expressive, luscious vocal tone.
Overall, ‘Is This Love’ is rather different from what we would expect from Quesnel, with a brooding, melancholic allure that certainly contrasts with the project’s previous pop-punk forays. We feel the choice to embrace darker pop territories was the correct one, especially judging by the painful and introspective nature of the song itself. As we are told: “This was the first song I ever wrote around 6-7 years ago now. I was going through tough relationship stuff at the time, and I needed an outlet to get my feelings out. I started writing songs, and this was the first song I ever wrote, and it got me through it.”
Recommended! Discover ‘Is This Love’ now: