Sincere Engineer returns with Probable Claws, the Chicago band’s fourth studio album, recorded at Electrical Audio and released today via Hopeless Records, marking a new chapter for Deanna Belos and her long-running punk project.
by Paul Cashmere
Sincere Engineer has released its fourth studio album Probable Claws as the Chicago-based project led by Deanna Belos steps into a new creative phase. The record, issued through Hopeless Records, was tracked entirely at Electrical Audio, the renowned studio founded by the late Steve Albini, situating the album within a lineage of influential independent recordings. The release follows advance singles including “Cooler,” “Twist My Tongue,” and “Fast Forward, Rewind,” which set the tone for the album’s arrival.
The release of Probable Claws reinforces Sincere Engineer’s position within contemporary punk and pop punk circles at a time when the genre continues to evolve through both legacy acts and newer independent voices. For listeners, the record represents a consolidated statement from a project that has steadily built its audience through touring and consistent studio output. It also arrives at a moment where artists are increasingly returning to analog and performance driven recording environments, a choice that Electrical Audio has long represented in the independent music ecosystem.
Across 11 tracks, Probable Claws presents a tightly constructed sequence that reflects Deanna Belos’ focus on songwriting clarity and emotional directness. The album opens with “Twist My Tongue” and moves through “Cooler,” “Pilot Light,” “DNA,” “LOL,” “Fast Forward, Rewind,” “Hallucinogenic,” “Arborvitae Evergreen,” “The Perfect Crime,” and “Settle Up with Your Downfall,” before closing on “Dynamite.” Belos has described the project as grounded in a straightforward pop punk approach, while still allowing space for the more reflective and ballad oriented material that has become a hallmark of the project’s catalogue.
Belos has also framed the album thematically around time and its accelerating passage. “I think the overall theme of this record is being uncomfortable with the passing of time and how quick time passes,” she said. “Not all the songs touch on that, there’s some songs about me moving too fast through life myself.” That idea threads through the record’s pacing and lyrical focus, with moments of urgency balanced against more introspective songwriting.
One of the album’s focal points is “Cooler,” an early single that captures the band’s blend of melodic structure and cathartic delivery. The track exemplifies the group’s ability to maintain emotional intensity while refining their sonic palette, a balance that has helped Sincere Engineer broaden its audience beyond its Chicago roots. Belos has noted that the project aimed for a direct pop punk record, while still incorporating dynamic shifts across the tracklist.
A key emotional centrepiece arrives in “Arborvitae Evergreen,” which Belos has identified as a personal highlight. “It’s my favourite,” she said. “It’s kind of the song I’ve been telling people I wrote for myself. It’s about the backyard of the house I grew up in. When we recorded it, I was so stoked with how well it came out. It takes me back to that place.” The track underscores the record’s connection between memory and present experience, a recurring theme across the album.
Placed within Sincere Engineer’s wider catalogue, Probable Claws follows 2017’s Rhombithian, 2021’s Bless My Psyche, and 2023’s Cheap Grills, each released through a combination of independent and label supported pathways. The current line-up continues to be centred on Belos alongside Adam Beck, Kyle Geib, and Nick Arvanitis, reinforcing a stable creative unit that has developed across a decade of activity.
Within the broader punk landscape, the album’s release through Hopeless Records places it alongside a roster of artists who have helped define modern pop punk’s commercial and underground balance. At the same time, its recording environment at Electrical Audio connects it to a more traditional independent ethos associated with raw performance capture and minimal studio intervention, a contrast that continues to shape discussions around production aesthetics in contemporary rock.
Looking ahead, Sincere Engineer is expected to support Probable Claws with a headline touring cycle, extending the band’s live presence following years of supporting established acts across the United States and international markets. For Belos, the album represents both a continuation and a recalibration, consolidating past experience while opening space for future development in songwriting and performance.
PROBABLE CLAWS TRACK LIST:
Twist My Tongue
Cooler
Pilot Light
DNA
LOL
Fast Forward, Rewind
Hallucinogenic
Arborvitae Evergreen
The Perfect Crime
Settle Up with Your Downfall
Dynamite
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