Hello! And welcome to another edition of Sound Inbox. The feature where I leaf through all the music sumbitted to us via email and our soundcloud dropbox, to unearth the best new music out there. This week features two great new young British bands in Trophys and Reversal, and an interesting indie-doom proposition from across the Atlantic. Enjoy!
Their Planes Will Block Out The Sun
First this week are New Jersey band Their Planes Will Block Out The Sun. The band's free EP (available from their bandcamp) is decidedly indie, with slightly darker elements also touched upon. The influences are quite apparent over the four tracks. 'Brasil' is heavily indebted to Radiohead, while highlight 'youth and angels' could easily be mistaken for a more solemn Interpol cut. It's an impressive EP, combining gloomy lyrical tendencies with precise production and brooding sometimes Jazz-like instrumentation. Entirely listenable and largely enjoyable.
Trophys
Off the back of their debut track 'Electro Track' receiving some attention from BBC Radio and over 2000 plays on soundcloud, young Maidstone band Trophys have just put out another cracking track. 'Funeral' is clearly a response to a lot of the best and brightest of British Indie and Synth-pop of recent years. There's nods to the likes of Bloc Party, Los Campesinos and Foals certainly present, but with more of a synth gleam and added angsty lyrics about subjects such as how hard it is being alone. The drums are loud, the vocals carry meaning and the electronics are pleasant if not massively varied. Trophys are youthful, memorable and their sound is surprisingly realised and with an upcoming tour with Casiokids on the cards, their tracks will likely find a wider more devoted audience as part of a live set up.
For more info on Trophys check out their facebook page here
Reversal
Now THIS is more like it. A young UK band with buckets full of ambition and a fantastic EP available for only £2 may sound a bit too good to be true, but Reversal are very promising. They're versatile too, their excellently titled EP 'The Society of Portly Gentlemen' is crammed full of ideas and energy. There's plenty to get excited about here, from the Franz Ferninand like bop of 'City Life', the thrillingly frantic 'Rusty City Martyr', or even the interesting contemporary experimentation with Bhagra (yes bhangra) on 'Bhindie'. Bewilderingly unsigned, Reversal knock out thrusting energetic tracks which I imagine would also work pretty well live. Their new EP 'A Monotonous Menagerie' is also on its way, and from first impressions sounds equally as gripping.
“We are obsessed with the British music scene and our aim is to provide you with the opportunity to discover your favourite new band”. (2000trees, 2012).
2000trees Festival in Gloucestershire was started for the only reason any music festival should be started; to put a load of people in a field with a load of bands they like playing and make sure everybody has a good time. A festival the organisers would want to go to.
Last year’s event was headlined by Dan Le Sac Vs Scroobius Pip and Frightened Rabbit, and also played host to the likes of And So I Watch You From Afar, Your Demise, Los Campesinos!, Tall Ships, The Twilight Sad… I could go on and on. On paper, few festivals can compete with the variety of music on offer. Throw in the local food stalls, the great atmosphere, the cheap ticket price (£59 for two days, plus £10 for entry on Thursday, which got you more bands), and just the whole feel of the place and it is an absolute bargain.
For 2012, 2000trees seems to be set on continuing the trend of being a great small festival with great bands playing for cheap. They’ve made a point of not increasing the size of the festival, ticket prices have increased but not massively, and are taking on board comments from those who attended last year, looking to improve the sound in certain areas, as well as site facilities.
Last Friday (Feb 17th) saw the announcement of 65daysofstatic as main stage headliners for Friday night, as well as the likes of Pulled Apart By Horses, The Xcerts, Johnny Foreigner, Rolo Tomassi, run WALK!, Brontide, Shapes and more, and that’s just the start. As mentioned, there is an early entry ticket going (though at the time of writing, they are apparently nearly all sold out) and that gets you Tall Ships, Tellison, The Cape Of Good Hope and more (with the headliner for Thursday still TBA).
With such a promising line up, and so many more to be announced, and such a tiny capacity and low price (£66 this year, or £117 for a joint ticket with Y-Not Festival, and then £14 for entry on Thursday), it would be advisable to get your ticket asap. I cannot recommend this festival highly enough.
I'm not sure why, but a strong proportion of tonight's crowd aren't dancing their faces off. M83 have just finished We Own the Sky and broken straight into Steve McQueen and still half of those in tonight's standing area gaze on in near stationary positions. It's not awe stricken paralysis, Gonzales and co aren't completely smashing it yet, but they're still being true to their records.
Tonight then brings M83’s European lap of glory to London. As fast as the city took in the likes of Midnight City, a few months down the line and it seems to have been all but forgotten. Hurry Up, We’re Dreaming may have been one of the best records of 2011, but it’s 2012 now and there’s new contenders to their crown. Shepherds Bush is tonight full to the brim with revellers but there’s only handfuls of people who look like they’re genuinely excited to be there.
There's moments of genuine relaxation in which you could be in a James Blake or SBTRKT show, but the rest is pure dream-pop with a stunning dance floor outlook. It’s not all computers though. In a musical environment in which live music actually being played live is so important, they're a tight unit and as time progresses, those present start to realise that. There’s nods to their past as even their self titled album’s Sitting gets a play whilst Saturdays=Youth and Before the Dawn… tracks also feature. Perhaps the most interesting choices come at the end of the set. Midnight City, the track that everyone’s been waiting for erupts and even some people on the second tier of balconies can be seen dancing. This is followed by the distinctly post-rock A Guitar And A Heart as the band leave the stage for the accepted encore.
Returning to the stage with the atmospheric and newly freshened Skin of the Night you can tell why the band decide to play live. Vocalist and musician Morgan Kibby adds a huge amount of talent, depth and even glamour to Gonzales’ live show and in tracks such as Intro (vocals on record are Zola Jesus, but who needs her when you have Kibby) and Skin of the Night, she comes into her own and belts out a stunning vocal line. Closing the night with Couleurs, it’s not quite the dance party they might have hoped for, but for many, it’s perfection. Time and time again M83 pull it out of the bag and if you add a bit more alcohol and sunshine to the mix at the summer’s festivals, they could do it all over again.
On the face of it, Errors are a band I should probably already love, yet ‘Have Some Faith In Magic, the band's 3rd album, is my first taste of their instrumental electro-pop rock, and “pop” is certainly a phrase you could associate with moments on here. Of course, these days the word “pop” comes with negative connotations, which definitely don’t apply here.
Take ‘Magna Encarta’, the second track. A lovely layering of synths, met by echoing vocals and eventually erupting with the addition of the guitar. It feels like parts of 65dayofstatic’s We Were Exploding Anyway in its build up and explosive style and also in it’s accessibility. Music that can fall under the label of “post-rock” can tend to get lost in itself, but here it is controllled perfectly.
Important here is the variation in the music. For every dance-driven track such as ‘Pleasure Palaces’ and ‘Earthscore’, there is a beautifully chilled out track like ‘Blank Media’. Unfortunately, at times there isn’t quite enough to keep the listener as enthralled as wished. At 50 minutes, and with 6 tracks over 5 minutes long, there are moments when it feels like (as good as the music is) it does go on a bit. Opener ‘Tusk’ is good, but would arguably pack far more punch if it was half the length, and ‘Canon’ seems fairly redundant. Cut down by maybe 10 minutes, the power in this record would have been far more potent.
However there is clear magic (excuse the pun) here. Euphoric closer ‘Holus-bolus’ indicates as much. It’s accessible yet hugely musically intriguing (no easy feat), yet it does feel a little dragged out at times. It also struggles to get beyond that barrier so many instrumental bands do, that of being able to engage the listener emotionally. However, there are beautiful moments on this record if you’re willing to look for them, have some faith.
Now, as we all know, Sleigh Bells’ debut ‘Treats’ was ace. Furious guitars, great vocals, noisy drums. A hugely exciting chunk of music.
‘Comback Kid’ is the first single from the bands follow up, titled ‘Reign Of Terror’ (out February 20th), and on first impressions it doesn’t feel like the band have really pushed the boundaries that much. All the ingredients from their debut are present; messy drums and heavy guitars in abundance, yet little else had been added. It is, if anything, a little tamer than most of the tracks on Treats, with its sung rather than shouted vocals. It’s not an unpleasant chance, reminiscent of the ethereal title track at the end of Rolo Tomassi’s Cosmology (vocally at least).
Providing Reign Of Terror is packed with as much energy as Treats (which, by all accounts, it is), the lack of it here isn’t too worrying. Yet more than anything Comeback Kid seems like a strange choice for a lead single. It’s definitely good; it just lacks much to grab the listener. There’s no huge progression or massive hook to get stuck in your head.
Hey, everybody, it's a new single by The Drums. Isn't that neat?
I don't know about you, but I love it when a band gets famous for having a certain sound, and then continue to replicate that said sound throughout all of their future material. It just makes having to listen to music more enjoyable. I mean, if I like a sound, why would I want it to change? Why kill a prize horse, right? And what's with all these silly, pretentious musicians trying to push themselves artistically or do that thing where they completely alternate their sound between albums.? I mean, who wants that? Losers.
In the looped-like "Days", The Drums keep their hazy, downbeat sound and bittersweet vocals. But the vocals are slightly stronger and cleaner. ARGH. I FEAR CHANGE. I'm going to have to listen to the first album constantly for a few days just to feel right again. Also, what's with the death metal album artwork? I liked it when they just had their name on the cover. That was good enough. Arty farty shits.
Hooray! The brothers Jarman have made their triumphant return to reclaim the indie punk crown after a drab 2011 without them.
With Johnny Marr leaving the band to pursue solo material, ‘Chi-town’ sees The Cribs going back to their roots with a piercing guitar riff locked in over a powerful bassline, giving that trademark gritty punk sound of The Cribs that we have all come to know and love. Chicago, start thanking the Jarmans, you officially have your new anthem.
The Cribs’ 5th studio album ‘In the Belly of the Brazen Bull’ is scheduled for release on 7th May, and judging by this banger 2012 is already looking a far more interesting year.
Almost by accident, the conception of Memoryhouse in Southern Ontario, Canada, has created some of the most individual sounds of Canadian pop culture; and the duo’s credibility may soon be paralleled with the likes of Arcade Fire, another Canadian group to break internationally. Combining the arts of photography and music has always been a major theme within Memoryhouse, as the music that the band played was originally due for a project that incorporated various mediums of expression. Evan Abeele’s compositional skills combined with Denise Nouvion’s chilling voice and photographical knowledge takes the idea of Memoryhouse into a level of its own. It is no surprise to note that the title of the Canadian duos album is ‘The Slideshow Effect’, bridging the gaps between the audio and visual realms.
With that in mind, there is clearly that same proposition that the first song, ‘Little Expressionless Animals’. The doubled voice that Abeele produced from the voice of Nouvion, and the hint of sustained synth suggests an ambient composition about expectations for the rest of the 10-track album. Halfway through the song, a burst of musical colour appears, with an addition of violins and a more up-beat drum pattern. The fuller sound however, does not aid terribly in recovering from such melancholy lyrics such as “Everybody knows you’re dead”, this sets another tone to early thoughts on the ideas that went into the album.
Almost out of nowhere, ‘The Kids Were Wrong’ objects our feelings from ‘Little Expressionless Animals’, and presents a very polar idiom. The song is carefree lyrically (“I’ll be right here by your side”) and uplifting, and also full of Rock n Roll style musicality, sounding very broad, almost as though it were recorded on stage. Oddly I can almost hear the likes of Paramore playing this; which adds to The Slideshow Effect’s imaginative origins. Again to follow, ‘All Our Wonder’ continues in this dreamy and thoughtful way.
As much as the first half of the album excites my thoughts, after hearing ‘Punctum’, ‘Heirloom’ and ‘Bonfire’, it is clear that there is a certain sound that Memoryhouse were after, and nothing else… The lack in tempo change does begin to become tedious, and it could almost be possible to rearrange all the guitar parts into similar songs (which are in heavy abundance) without anyone noticing a difference.
‘Pale Blue’ is a reminder of how equally important, if not more, the instrumentation is. Echoed keyboard patterns and further use of synth sounds bring us back to the beginning of the album, and the drums pick the song up in tempo halfway through, which is an emotional energiser for sure. And as we approach the last three songs, the album obtains an even more reflective state. Ending with ‘Walk With Me’, ‘Kinds Of Light’ and ‘Old Haunts’ seems appropriate, as it brings the album to a close, with exposed guitar arpeggios that places you on a sunset-lit beach in your head, very finished indeed.
Evan Abeele really exposes his knowledge of blending various idioms and ideas, and this also exists in Denise Nouvion, making the duo very capable of producing a smooth and consistent album. This has been a step-up from the release of their EP last year to a full length album, and so the fantastical and wondrous sounds of Memoryhouse are very memorable. It will also be interesting to survey Memoryhouse in their rise in popularity and credibility, maybe to that of their fellow Canadian predecessors.
With the upcoming predicted return of the ‘lost’ Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All high profile member Earl Sweatshirt, the blog buzz is gagging around their dicks once again. It still isn’t entirely clear where Earl has apparently been, but now he’s returned, I’m pretty sure nobody gives a shit about that now. After giving a sneak preview of a song and demanding 50,000 Twitter followers in order to hear it in full, the kids leapt, gave him double that and received their present. It’s called ‘Home’, and it’s above. Fittingly titled, and it’s a good track. He concludes at the end of the song that he’s “back”; so that’s good, isn’t it? It’s fair to say that Earl Sweatshirt is one of the premier members of Odd Future, with his distinctive vocals and his technically interesting and smooth samples, it’s nice to see that he has returned to the fold. After Tyler, The Creator (the movement’s king and overlord) released his dreadfully disappointing second album in the form of GOBLIN, it felt a little like the bubble had been burst on the bastion of Odd Future’s credibility. The album pays far too much attention to his fame, to negative blog posts nobody cares about now, and far too much rape-rap to really want to listen to - and is a generally clumsy, ugly and unsatisfying album. From releasing the album such a stand out album in BASTARD, and introducing a lot of people to rap and r’n’b who wouldn’t have before him, introducing concepts that rappers shy away from far too much, like depression and mental issues, growing up fatherless, and the fact that rappers like Jay Z are too obsessed with bragging about ‘Gucci’ and directing their music towards a society of people they’ve created a divide from. He provided an interesting niche in an unmoving genre that really needed it. But many now feel, he lost it.
Since then, the momentum for Odd Future has been wavering, relying on a few lesser skilled MCs and producers to take the helm. And in fairness, there have been a diverse set of releases from projects like The Internet, Mellowhype and Frank Ocean, all serving a distinct purpose that are doing a lot more than most radio r’n’b artists are. However, nothing essential, in honesty. So, what is Odd Future now? Has it suffered from the frailties of being a Cult Of Personality skit? Far too many people were blogging about and wearing Odd Future, but how many are really listening to it? And how many of them, in fact, really understand its appeal? See, the problem with fashion is its reasons for existence can literally be defined by its popularity, which makes trying to convince someone that Odd Future lacks it, in many ways a hard task. But is it such a bad thing? People do have problems with the whole movement. I personally flit between admiration and dismissal very easily. I don’t think i’ve quite bought the season ticket to Odd Future’s banquet. Also, their popularity isn’t the kind that is usually associated with rap. It’s very popular in the ‘indie’ and ‘hipster’ blog buzz, but not really with the traditional rap audience. Basically, it allowed white kids to admire black kids for behaving like white kids while making music for black kids that was in turn enjoyed by white kids. And it’s not surprising that this has happened, Odd Future are hardly a traditional bunch of r’n’b/rap artists. From their material, to their beats, to their age and even to their fashion sense, they seem to be more in-tune with young stereotypically white atheists than young black Christians. It’s fair to say they’re a different generation of kids, with a clear influence from free thinking philosophies, punk and DIY aesthetics, and the hipster (there needs a positive synonym for that word, seriously) artist buzz of the last five years. And, in honesty, I think it’s totally a good thing. They’re a very positive and brilliant influence - in a genre highly populated by misogynists, religionists, materialists, money-obsessed, stupid people hyped over nothing and selling out before they even understand the music industry - these guys are literally doing it for themselves, for the love of it, the love of creating it, the love of putting it out there, the love of being different, not doing what is expected of you, living free and not conforming to conventional thinking or conventional living. Simply, doing whatever you want to do, how you want to do it. It’s certainly progressive and encouraging. But, like everyone else it seems, I have fallen into the cult of personality trick right before your eyes, reader. I’ve spent all this time talking about them, and not their music. But, the thing is, it’s important. And as much as their music has lacked slightly in places, it’s still wildly brilliant that it exists. They’re changing what it is to be rappers, and getting popular doing that. I mean, they’re not doing it to the extend artists like Death Grips are musically, but as a social and personality led movement, they are encouraging.
So, with this exciting return of Earl Sweatshirt - who knows, Odd Future could just have turned the corner along their corridor to achieving their true brilliance, and achieving the potential that everyone on the blog-o-sphere is hoping for. 2012 looks to be an interesting year for Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All. In the words of the gang, 'Swag'.
For this first edition of 'Writers Picks', the writers were asked the simple question of 'What are your favourite lyrics?'. For any music fan, this is a gargantuan task, to leaf through all their most loved tracks and find just 1 or 2 lyrics that resonate more emotionally and personally than any other. So it is after great pain-staking decision making that we present to you, the writers of Sound Influx's favourite lyrics of all time.
Jeffrey Lewis – To Be Objectified (Picked by Ned Powley)
“I left a trail of myself every place that I have been through / And going bald is the most manly thing that I'm ever gonna do. I tell the earth, ‘thanks for the hair, thanks for the skin, thanks for the bone’ / Though I now slowly give it back I still appreciate the loan.”
Jeffrey Lewis has written and released hundreds of songs, some of them good, some of them bad and some of them utterly, unequivocally beautiful. In the space of four lines Lewis comes to terms with his ultimate fate, accepts his lot in life and sneaks in some self-deprication. As easy as it is to write him off as just another overly-earnest singer-songwriter, but his lyrics never lapse into needless sentimentality or simplicity.
Of Montreal – Our Riotous Defects (Picked by Will Hall)
“My god, I should've realised / On our second date / When you dragged me into the bathroom at Tameka's house / And screamed at me for like twenty minutes / Because I had contradicted you in front of your friends / I was like, "Oh!" / And then later that night, at my apartment / As punishment, you killed my Beta fish / You just threw it out the window / I did everything I could to make you happy / I participated in all your protests / Supported your stupid little blog / Got a Bowflex / Wore coloured contacts to match your dresses / Whatever your eyes caught, I bought but still we fought / Like Ike and Tina, but in reverse”
These have to be the funniest lyrics I’ve ever heard. I was thinking about writing about Frank Zappa’s hilariously perverted social commentary on ‘Fembot in a Wet T-shirt’, but there is no way I couldn’t write about ‘Our Riotous Defects’. In this spoken-word verse, Kevin Barnes delivers the most bizarre lyrics in such a held back way. It’s as though he is telling a story that the listeners can’t distinct as either humorous or scary. Should we feel sorry for him, or just laugh at (with) him? As the backing vocals chirp and the bass line climbs, Barnes tells of the woes of a past relationship in stunning detail. The line about killing the Beta fish still creates a vivid (and hilarious) picture in my mind.
LCD Soundsystem – Losing My Edge (Picked by Toby McCarron) “I used to work in the record store. I had everything before anyone. I was there in the Paradise Garage DJ booth with Larry Levan. I was there in Jamaica during the great sound clashes. I woke up naked on the beach in Ibiza in 1988.
But I'm losing my edge to better-looking people with better ideas and more talent. And they're actually really, really nice.”
James Murphy is the god-father of self-aware pop culture commentaries in lyrics. This excerpt from ‘Losing My Edge’ sums up the changing nature of music and how easily things can become outdated, as Murphy frequently notes ‘I Was There’ in the face of the younger crowd vying for attention and attempting to make him obsolete. For me though, the killer bit of these lyrics is the end line about them being really really nice and more talented, a glorious backhanded compliment? Or an admission of being past it? Either way, it’s very clever.
Patti Smith – Gloria (Picked by Grace Barber-Plentie)
“Jesus died for somebody's sins, but not mine."
This is just one line of the song and it's only the first line but seriously, could you get a better first line? It's so Patti Smith, hard and not afraid to say whatever she wants and super-cool. This is the sort of lyric I want on my gravestone just to piss people off and because it's amazing.
Andrew Jackson Jihad – Big Bird (Picked by Eliot Humphries)
"I'm a straight white male in America; I’ve got all the luck I need.”
The whole song is basically centred around this line – the truth that if you are a heterosexual man living in the richest and most powerful country in the world, you are the most successful, the most carefree and the most dominant people in the world. And it also satirises the notion that if you are not that, you are subject to different kinds of applicable scrutiny and there is very little you can do to change that because it's so ingrained in the culture.
Arcade Fire – Ready to Start (Picked by Aurora Mitchell)
“If the businessmen drink my blood, Like the kids in art school said they would”
Arcade Fire's lyrics have always been politically charged, often criticising how corrupt the political system is. I could have picked hundreds of lyrical snippets across AF's three albums but this just hits harder than most. Having a deeply flawed political past, America is no stranger to financial crisis'. Especially in the 1920s around the time of the Wall Street Crash, many Americans were dragged into scandals without realising what dirty businessmen were doing and that still carries on today under our noses. Arcade Fire know how to pack a punch with a one liner. Instead of harbouring idealistic ideas, this as with many of AF's lyrics, shows that reality is often grim and many put too much trust in their government without enough knowledge.
The Streets – Everything is Borrowed (Picked by Braden Fletcher)
“I came to this world with nothing, and I’ll leave with nothing but love. Everything else is just borrowed.”
If you want the spokesmen for a generation you need look no further than Mike Skinner. This is a standout Streets track for me in so many ways, but the main hook comes in the chorus, “I came to this world with nothing, and I’ll leave with nothing but love. Everything else is just borrowed.” It’s just life affirmingly brilliant and there’s nothing anyone can add to that.
Los Campesinos! - Light Leaves, Dark Sees Part Two (Picked by Julia Christmas)
"The pain of the silence before bed, Oh for the sound of your pissing through the thin walls, or stroking your head"
These have got to be my favourite Los Campesinos! lyrics and I think it's because of the brutality in which Gareth Campesinos writes them. However pretentious people may think his lyrics are, you can't help but sit and think about those little things after the end of a relationship - how irrelevant they were at the time and how relevant they are afterwards.
The Beach Boys – God Only Knows (Picked by Calum Stephen) "The world could show nothing to me, So what good would living do me?"
This line from the gorgeous ‘God Only Knows’, taken from The Beach Boys' masterpiece 'Pet Sounds', is not only beautiful but heart-breaking at the same time. The way the line is delivered, with its stunning melody and internal rhyme, combined with the idea of losing the one you cherish and care for the most, create an incredibly sincere and heartfelt lyric. "God Only Knows" is often described as one of the best songs ever written, and it's not difficult to see why.
Tom Vek – On a Plate (Picked by Aurora Mitchell)
“The night is a cup I want to fill,
I know I won't always reach its lip,
Cause something will always knock it over,
Spilling my dreams to the curb'”
Whilst also talking about the human instinct to rain on anyone's parade who is doing better than you are, Tom Vek also addresses his stance on whether he is a glass half full/half empty kind of guy, saying that he wants the glass to be full but there's always going to be a glass half full person there to empty it. Always a fan of well executed metaphors in lyrics; this particularly appeals to me because every time I hear it, I see a cup being knocked over and the contents slowly trickling down the drain as Tom Vek's dreams contained within are washed away.
Girls – Summertime (Picked By Hannah Bettey)
“grow out my hair, go anywhere, sleep in until afternoon, summertime, soak up the sunshine with you”
Christopher Owens is a truly heartfelt lyricist, whilst still remaining quite simple. For me, these lyrics remind me of the freedom and fun that comes with summer. The ‘grow out my hair/go anywhere’ line evokes a sense of adventure and change, in an optimistic and hazy, summery way. Everyone can relate to ‘soak up the sunshine with you’, be it having spent a day with a friend or loved one. Owens makes everything sound poetic, romantic and extremely fun, whilst not being cheesy or unrealistic.
Frightened Rabbit –My Backwards Walk (Picked by Braden Fletcher)
“I’m working on erasing you, I just don’t have the proper tools.
I’ll get hammered forget that you exist, there’s no way I’m forgetting this.”
Tragically, yet perfectly though it’s heartbreak that brings out the best lyrics in artists. Selecting a key lyric from Noah and the Whale’s First Days of Spring is like having a favourite £20 note, whilst just mentioning For Emma is enough to make people emotional. One band that is arguably overlooked from time to time is Scotland’s Frightened Rabbit. Take ‘My Backwards Walk’ for example. “I’m working on erasing you, I just don’t have the proper tools. I’ll get hammered forget that you exist, there’s no way I’m forgetting this.” Amongst a pile of other beautiful lyrics, this stands out. Happiness brings so much, but it’s heartbreak that brings out beauty in people.
Radiohead – Fake Plastic Trees (Picked by Adam Laurence)
"She looks like the real thing, she tastes like the real thing, my fake plastic love,
But I can't help the feeling, I could blow through the ceiling, if I just turn and run, and it wears me out"
These lyrics, as well as having a degree of cynicism, manage to be hopeful and are thought provoking. I try not to delve too far into that song and other Radiohead tracks like it, otherwise they may wear me out, but these are just simply sweet lyrics.
Bastions - Augury (Picked by Eliot Humphries)
"Anxiety has me this pale, hanging on by my finger nails.
When sorrow knocked at my door, I was too afraid to answer anymore."
The lyrics of Bastions are always very passionate and emotional – but above all others, this line really got to me the most. Any kind of lyric relating to struggle or suppression really cuts at me deep, and it's just that image Jamie Burne paints of being so worn out by depression and misery that even contemplating it is too much to bare – it's not only brilliant poetry, it's also a very powerful statement on such an under-represented emotional crippler.
Slow Club - Dance Till the Morning Light (Picked by Grace Barber-Plentie)
"I heard you were looking for a man to lead, but I can tell you I'm not the man you need. I'm always three steps behind the dance and the times, and if I can’t change for you, then I won’t change for me." I always like to try and be different to everyone else when it comes to favourite songs by bands and I've been very stoic in the fact that this is my FAVOURITE SLOW CLUB SONG EVER since I heard the demo of it. It's my favourite song for a very good reason - this lyric. I always like lyrics that I can kind of relate to and this sums me up - horrifically un-co-ordinated, and very, very stubborn. Also there's something about Slow Club's lyrics that I always find so moving and charming, and this one in particular has always stood out.
Parenthetical Girls – Love Connection (Picked by Eden Young)
“Some things are best left unsaid"
These Parenthetical Girls lyrics were adopted by Los Campesinos! On their track ‘Heart Swells / Pacific Daytime’ but used in totally different ways.
