The genre of new wave lives through us all. Although it was received as a breakthrough, it was the property of the times. Blindness & Light carry some of that energy forward, with their compositions. They might sound like a retro band, and that’s because their sensibilities are. They sound like one of those groups that sound the same live-as they are rooted to their music. This is their latest single, The Ballad of Them and Us.
I especially love diving into the lyrics of this era. It is a surreal daydream, a mixture of what your dreams and reality can fissure from. With a rousing opening, we’re off with the warm, welcoming tempo of this song. The bass lead follows, with the vocals-creating a contrast in registers but aiding the melody. Scintillating background sounds are what give it the flavour of the late 80s and early 90s. There is no wonder to why these guys are in underrated band playlists-their output sound is fantastic and original to the zeitgeist they are woven into. The instrumental break is a breath of fresh air, a collection of sounds you might have not heard in a solo since the 80s. Henry Priestman collaborates in this track to create a sound that is never coming back, until Blindness and Light are putting out a new song.
This would perfectly in the 2016 movie Gold and the second season of Peaky Blinders. The flowing instrumentals and rising-falling melody have a very dramatic outcome in terms of scene, so this is silver screen gold. You can also listen to Chains, Another Day and The Tannhäuser Gate. This is a prolific, active band-so you can always expect audio gems from them. Follow them to keep up with their new music!