On the 14th of November, Cavetown released his newest single, ‘NPC’. The song covers a theme that feels unique in its execution, namely feeling like an NPC (‘non-playable character’). An NPC is a character in a game not controlled by the player, often one without its own choices. In this song, this translates to someone who feels invisible, empty, maybe not fully real. This feeling is immediately clear from the opening lyrics: “Nobody knows me, that’s what they call me, you-know-who. Got a void for a body, no one can see me, not even you”.
The song quickly builds up in pace and instrumentals, taking the listener to a chorus where the frustration of feeling like an NPC is expressed: “Everybody’s at home or away, or in some third place, but I live in the space in between”
From this space in between, Cavetown has created an interesting sound for the song.
The sound is harsher than in his previous music, alternating softer verses with explosive choruses supported by electric guitars and louder vocals. This only makes the meaning stronger, conveying not just feeling empty but the distress that comes with this. The last minute of the songs especially feels like screaming out of frustration: “Here I go on a plane again to a place where I literally live, still, it’s all new to me”.
In ‘NPC’, the lyrics and musical elements combine so well, the instrumentals make it feel like six exclamation marks are added to every lyric, making the listener understand them to the fullest extent.
In a recent interview, Cavetown explains that his upcoming album (Running With Scissors, releasing January 16, 2026) is inspired by listening to a lot of Pierce the Veil, and a desire to make music that is loud and “makes people want to spin in circles”. And spin in circles we shall, as ‘NPC’ is an excellent occasion for it. It’s catchy, louder than expected, and still characteristically Cavetown, the lyrics part of an ever-expanding universe of unique understanding that his music brings. The character may not be playable, but the song surely is, generating even more anticipation for the upcoming album.
Written by: Marieke Weeda
Edited by: Sabine de Graaf
