rum.gold Walking Dead Review: A Haunting Guide to Grieving the Living

Rum.gold’s “Walking Dead” Is a Haunting Look at Grieving Someone Who’s Still Alive

There is a very specific, hollow kind of grief that comes when a relationship ends, but the person is still… out there. They’re still breathing, posting on Instagram, and grabbing coffee, but the version of them that belonged to you is gone.

On his new single “Walking Dead,” rum.gold (the Brooklyn artist who seems to have a PhD in making us cry) captures that exact ghost-like feeling. It’s not just a breakup song; it’s an exploration of what it means to mourn the living.

The Vibe: Ethereal Ache

If you’ve followed rum.gold since his COLORS session or his debut album Thicker Than Water, you know he doesn’t do “simple.” Produced alongside Rahmm, Rogers, and Zach Ess, “Walking Dead” feels like a fever dream you don’t want to wake up from.

His falsetto is as weightless as ever, but there’s a grit to the lyrics that grounds it. The melody is quiet and sparse, leaving plenty of room for that central, stinging metaphor: someone becoming a member of the “walking dead” in your life. It’s intimate, it’s slightly uncomfortable, and it’s deeply relatable.

Part of a Larger Puzzle

“Walking Dead” isn’t just a one-off single. It’s a crucial piece of his upcoming double-sided album, Is There Anybody Home? (dropping March 27).

The rollout for this project is actually pretty brilliant. He’s telling a story in reverse:

  • The Second Half: Released first, focusing on the messy, heavy reality of adulthood.

  • The First Half: Where “Walking Dead” lives, looking back at childhood and the “trail of crumbs” that led us to where we are now.

It’s an ambitious way to look at how we’re shaped by our past, and if “Walking Dead” is any indication, the full project is going to be an emotional gauntlet.

Catch Him on the Road

If you want to experience these songs in a room full of people also trying not to sob, rum.gold is hitting the road. His headline tour kicks off February 20 in LA, followed by a stop at the Noise Pop Festival in San Francisco on the 24th.

The Bottom Line: If you need a soundtrack for your next late-night drive or a quiet moment of reflection, put “Walking Dead” on. Just maybe keep some tissues nearby.