Swift social and cultural upheavals are happening right before our eyes in today’s tense, uncertain world and as Trump continues to baffle both Americans and those around the world, millions of concerned citizens and artists are beginning to rise up and protest in any way they can. The immigration ban was the catalyst to something that’s sure to blossom into something massive in the near future and this week, Depeche Mode was one of the first groups to step forward with a resistance-focused song.
Not everything has been focused on the ‘Resistance’, though. Themes of happiness, encouragement, looking at the big picture and more have popped up in some of the new songs released this week and more than ever, a sense of hope and coming together to overcome something greater than ourselves seems to be spreading further and further into the music community’s collective consciousness.
The most transformative periods in history lead to some of the greatest music, films, art, literature and more so it’ll be interesting to see what sort of avalanche is triggered by the recent events in the US. For now, here’s the tip of the iceberg.
Imagine Dragons – ‘Believer’
The Las Vegas based alternative rock/pop quartet has built quite the reputation for themselves despite only being in the spotlight for a little over four years, selling out massive headlines tours around the world, releasing #1 single after #1 single and crafting songs for everything from video games to film soundtracks to the UN Refugee Agency’s campaign to support the ongoing crisis.
Two years have now passed since their matured, all over the place sophomore LP Smoke + Mirrors and the group has hinted for months now that their upcoming third album was deep in development and with the release of lead single ‘Believer’, solid details on the album’s title, track list, sound and much more should (hopefully) be just around the corner. So what does ‘Believer’ tell us about this new LP?
It’s another stomping, acoustic/electro jam that falls in line with the sounds we heard on Smoke, including some fiery wordplay in the verse and a huge drop in the chorus that verges a bit too close to what the group did on ‘Gold’ but Dan Reynold’s ever-strengthening vocals and the cry of “you make me a believer” give it enough power to stand out. ‘Believer’ might not be their best single to date but their leads rarely are. If we’re lucky, we won’t have long to wait to hear more of this mysterious new LP.
Depeche Mode – ‘Where’s the Revolution?’
Ever since releasing their first LP Speak and Spell way back in 1981, new wave and electronic rock giants Depeche Mode transformed and challenged the music industry over and over again with jarring, shocking imagery in their videos, music, themes and lyrics that routinely verge on nihilism and a sharp tongue that rarely holds back when discussing politics or modern culture.
It shouldn’t come as a surprise then that their upcoming LP Spirit, their latest since 2013’s Delta Machine, will reportedly be one of their most politically focused yet. Anticipation over what the music could sound like is also higher than ever since Delta Machine was an unexpectedly powerful return to form for the group who had been releasing subpar and poorly received albums since 1997’s Ultra.
Lead single ‘Where’s the Revolution?’ brings back the lighter, rapid fire synths of classic early 90’s LPs like Violator and lead singe Dave Gahan holds nothing back as he lashes out at corporate and media manipulation (“You’ve been lied to / You’ve been fed truths / Who’s making your decisions / You or your religion“) and gets to the heart of what’s caused so much societal and social chaos in recent months (“They manipulate and threaten / With terror as a weapon / Scare you till you’re stupefied / Wear you down until you’re on their side“).
Even though the bridges becomes repetitive with the refrains of “the train is coming, the train is coming“, Dave’s message comes through loud and clear and the band sounds more fired up here than they did on Delta. Whether or not that ‘spirit’ carries through the rest of the new LP is unclear but this is about as strong a start as you can get.
Father John Misty – ‘Two Wildly Different Perspectives’
Whereas Depeche Mode’s take on our current cultural revolution was dark musically but not as much lyrically, Father John Misty fearlessly confronts the ideological divide between America’s political parties on new single ‘Two Wildly Different Perspectives’. Most of us know that Democrats and Republicans have been slowly swirling into one corrupted, amorphous group for years and it’s disheartening and shameful to see so many blatantly ignoring or denying where we’re heading.
‘Pure Comedy’, the first single from Misty’s new LP of the same name already hit hard enough but ‘Perspectives’ ups the ante even further, softening the blow of the blunt lyrics with a bed of graceful, ambient strings and pianos that gently support Misty’s vocals but maintain enough distance to allow his words to be completely understood.
The hate spat from those of different religious beliefs (“One side says / “Y’all go to hell.” / The other says / “If I believed in God, I’d send you there.”) and how many believe we should treat terrorists (“One side says / “Kill ’em all.” / The other says / “Line those killers up against the wall.”) are all discussed and even though it hurts your heart to hear, Misty’s music makes you hope that maybe, just maybe, we can change from a nation of ‘pure comedy’ to the one we desperately need to be.
BNQT – ‘Restart’
One thing that remains constant about supergroups is that they’re hit or miss in their ability to make music that’s original and doesn’t use their individual backgrounds as a crutch. The Dead Weather and Audioslave are just two examples of combinations that sounded crazy on paper but became brilliant, unique creative entities without copying the music they’d already made before.
BNQT has to be one of the most interesting, and almost bizarre, groups to come to life in a long time, though. Headed up by Midlake’s Eric Pulido, the new band also consists of Band of Horses’ Ben Bridwell, Grandaddy’s Jason Lytel, Franz Ferdinand’s Alex Kapranos and Travis’ Fran Healy. That’s a roster of names I never thought I’d see in the same place but Pulido said the mission behind the band was to create art “with other people that you love and appreciate“.
‘Their very first song ‘Restart’ makes a strong case for them with a wild mix of horns, classic rock guitars, triumphant pianos and keys and intoxicating, layered vocals. The song doesn’t fall stylistically anywhere near the band members’ primary groups and the fact that this first song is already so impressive and engaging only spells good things for their debut LP Volume 1 which is due to be released on April 28.
Future Islands – ‘Ran’
Few modern bands fit the textbook definition of ‘love them or hate them’ quite like Maryland indie pop trio Future Islands. Since releasing their 2008 debut LP Wave Like Home, the group quickly established an oddball aesthetic of bright, looping synths and bubbly beats that acted as a pleasant balance to lead singer Samuel Herring’s wild, all over the place vocals that could go from a soft croon to a gritty growl in a split second. They’re not so much vocals as they are a vehicle of pure emotional expression.
Their 2014 LP Singles, led by massively popular single ‘Seasons (Waiting on You’, catapulted them from their quaint indie beginnings to the world stage and publications from NME to Pitchfork plastered the band on every magazine cover and webpage headline they could get their mits on. This newfound fame brought in an ever growing and loyal fanbase who have been itching for something new from the trio ever since.
With the announcement of their latest LP, The Far Field, that’s due to come out on April 7th, said fanbase is likely stirring itself into another frenzy of anticipation and lead single ‘Ran’ hints that this LP just might match or even top the brilliant Singles. Twinkling keys and driving drums give an extra punch to Herring’s passionate vocals as he expresses his need for a lover or friend’s help (“And I can’t take it, I can’t take this world without / This world without you“).
London Grammar – ‘The Big Picture’
Somehow, nearly three years have passed since English dream pop/downtempo trio London Grammar blew our minds with their chilling, overwhelmingly gorgeous debut If You Wait and with the unending stream of negativity and stressful news coming at us 24/7, we’ve never been in greater need of more of their soothing, peaceful vibes. With the sudden release of ‘Rooting for You’ last month, it appears that wait might soon be over, especially now that a second single, ‘The Big Picture’ has dropped.
Hearing Hannah’s soaring, featherlike vocals over the band’s powerful and moving musical ambience brings about indescribable happiness and Hannah sings of finding peace in realizing someone’s true nature through heartbreak (“Only now do I see the big picture / But I swear that these scars are fine / Only you could have hurt me in this perfect way tonight“). Only London Grammar could make such a subject sound so uplifting and joyous.
Blanck Mass – ‘Silent Treatment’
English composer Blanck Mass, first known as a founding member of drone rock band Fuck Buttons, has been working away in the underground electronic music scene since 2011, whipping up a savage mix of foundation leveling, dense as concrete and overwhelmingly loud music. His 2015 LP Dumb Flesh was a roller coaster journey of aural attacks and melodic moments that proved he was capable of much more than just blowing your eardrums out.
With his new LP World Eater coming out in just over a month (March 3), you’d expect it to be even more adventurous and unpredictable than Flesh and new single ‘Silent Treatment’ all but confirms we’re in for one hell of a ride. Splashing hip hop beats and radiant synths steadily pull you into the song’s deep pool of sound before stuttered vocals, oriental keys and walls of noise blast it to pieces. This quiet/loud dynamic persists throughout ‘Treatment’, making it both incredibly engaging and, dare I say it, more accessible.
The wait for this new album is becoming unbearably hard.
The Anchor Point 