How many times a day are you actually even paying attention? No, I’m not just talking about listening hard enough to where you can remember what your co-worker or spouse told you. No, it’s not good enough to be able to recall last night’s game either. That’s not focus, but rather low-key survival skills.
The answer is that you, most likely, aren’t paying much attention because your focus is scattered everywhere. Don’t worry! It happens to most of us, and modern life has been designed to work this way. But what would it take for things to be different? Some sort of hypnosis, most likely.
The mesmeric effect of music, especially the modern rock variety, cannot be understated. If you’re a willing participant, then this is one of the only times when your attention span is fully stimulated. In order for all of this to happen, though, what is required is a special kind of sound, the type that By Million Wires focus on now that they’re returned.
The Polish group’s been away and is now using the new EP, “Not Over” to rebuild its connection with the audience one dream spell at a time.
Just listen to the record’s opener, “Over,” a song built around a swirling, repetitive guitar theme that takes its time in getting you on the right frequency before sprinkling bittersweet melodies everywhere.
Yes, this is a mood record, an EP where each track is designed so that it doesn’t disturb the harmony of all the others. That’s the reason why “Glass Houses,” with its echo-drenched lead guitar lines and melancholy-filled vocals, offers a smooth transition from the opener and presents more of this world of hurt and hope that songs inhabit.
Music-wise, the Polish group loves to work with alt-rock dynamics, moody verses followed by powerful choruses that deliver the melodic relief as they do on a track like “Runaway”. The band’s also inspired by modern post-rock for this one, as well as 2000s, introspective indie rock.
The other discovery is just how well a Polish-tinged accent can work over English-sung lyrics. The vocal delivery can often be an issue for Eastern European groups, but this is far from the case here.
Where does it all leave us? If you’re like the members of By Million Wires, you’re nursing some bruises, but not ready to throw in the towel just yet. “I Know Better,” the EP’s most attention-grabbing track, uses that power of rock hypnosis to speak one more truth: through good times and bad, it’s only you who knows what’s best for you. How about that for a spell?
Social media links
