REVIEW OF THE NEW ALBUM BY ‘BASTILLE’ ‘GIVE ME THE FUTURE’

 

 

REVIEW BY TAMSIN JONES

 

Bastille  ‘Give Me The Future’ released Out Now Order Here 

 

Reviewing music gives me the opportunity to dissect many types of music of all genres. During the journey we were all a part of through the pandemic, music seemed to be almost like a sponge that saturated all our emotions we felt during this time, artists have been able to take these intense feelings emphasise and paint a beautiful picture to display it through the art of music.

Bastille have done this so elegantly whilst providing an almost out of world, supernatural feel to the Sci fi inspired 4th  album ‘ Give me the Future’ that is released February 4th 2022. The album is described as  a tribute to humanity in a tech age and was started pre pandemic

The album kicks off with ‘Distorted Light Beam’ and in Bastilles unique unbroken way of delivering a different take on the usual pessimistic view of the future we usually see, their spin allows you to close your eyes and let you take on a different view of a new universe in a positive light.

 

 

‘No Bad Days’ allows you to reach within to yourself and gives no room for negativity. Guiding you to a place that allows you to be gentle within your thoughts.

The bands love for 1980s and discotheque is prevalent throughout the album and tracks like ‘back to the future’ hint towards that era along with ‘Thelma and Louise’ and ‘Club 57’ that explores 1980s New York. An age where technology really dipped its toe into new age technology and visions of a future world that provided that genre with a wide imagination of what can be.

‘Plug in’ is a huge torch highlighting over matters and concerns that consume our thoughts today, pleading to the future we will be alright?, whilst voicing concerns about ice caps, our distorted view on airbrushing and the fact technology knows more about us than it needs to? Asking ‘are we having fun yet’ it’s a serious question to the future that is impending.

 

 

Bastille inject romance and love into the album and I think the interlude poem ”promises’ featuring Riz Ahmed which guides us to the track ‘shut off the lights’ is able to show this and add warmth to the heavy questions that were asked in ‘Plug In’. It turns your thoughts back to humankind and connection with no talk of the future just the here now with such lyrics ‘ empty your head, be here with me’ and even leaving the world of technology by switching off the lights to dance, leading us back a world of touch, feel and presence.

The thought provoking album is able to catch a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions we process whilst thinking of the future, and is delivered in Bastilles optimistic view but with a hint of realism, Dan Smiths hypnotic unique vocals that cover philosophical questions about technology, combining them with a background of music that covers electro, Glitchy pop this album is is an escapism but at the same time allows us to look within and at each other for comfort in uncertain times in the form of expression dance, joy and love or in the words of promises ‘The Past and Future, Lies in Present Energy’ and ‘The World Burning But Fuck It’

 

8.5/10

 

 

GIVE ME THE FUTURE TRACK LISTING

1/DISTORTED LIGHT BEAM

2/ THELMA + LOUISE

3/ NO BAD DAYS

4/ BRAVE NEW WORLD

5/ BACK TO THE FUTURE

6/ PLUG IN

7/ PROMISES

8/ SHUT OFF THE LIGHTS

9/ STAY AWAKE

10/GIVE ME THE FUTURE

11/ CLUB 57

12/ TOTAL DISSOCIATION

13/ FUTURE HOLDS

 

 

 

 

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