If you’ve ever walked into a musician’s home studio and immediately thought, Yep… I know exactly who lives here, then Reduction in Force’s debut single “What’s Next?” will feel like stepping into someone’s creative soul in 4K. This alt-rock release is as personal as it is punchy — a full-on, synth-lit, guitar-slashed introduction to Mike Mills, the man behind the project.
“What’s Next?” unfolds inside a bursting music room where every item — mixtapes, turntables, Fillmore posters, the bright yellow Sony Sports Walkman, stacks of colored vinyl — acts like a breadcrumb trail leading back through 30+ years of musical obsession. Childhood photos peek through the chaos, reminding you that this wasn’t a hobby Mills picked up last year; this was the dream from day one. Even the San Diego sports page declaring “Dreams Do Come True” feels like a cosmic wink from the past.
Then there are the LPs on the wall — Depeche Mode, The Smiths, Human League, New Order, Peter Gabriel. Basically, the Mount Rushmore of new wave and alt-rock. And you can hear every one of them woven into the DNA of the track.
“What’s Next?” takes those influences and runs them through a modern engine: overdriven guitars that slice through the mix, a throbbing synth pulse, an unshakeable electronic rhythm, and Mills’ perfectly deadpan, magnetically cool vocals. It’s new wave nostalgia hitting alt-rock urgency — reflective, rebellious, and unmistakably alive.
Lyrically and emotionally, it lands squarely in 2025. There’s a restlessness, a craving for connection, a sense of standing at the crossroads of who you were and who you’re becoming. And the video mirrors that journey beautifully. Mills’ childhood relic — a stuffed rat named Norman — becomes the unlikely protagonist, navigating a fortress built from decades of memories. Across three minutes, Norman confronts, transcends, and ultimately carries those memories into a new chapter. It’s quirky, heartfelt, and weirdly profound.
