Devereux Scales – I Will Promise You
Everything is kind of ridiculous nowadays. Most things feel cheap and built in a quantity that will save them from ever becoming rarities and thus of any great value. And the majority of people go through life like it’s some never-ending chore and a thing that will never fully satisfy them, or offer them relief.
With these in mind, this might also be the time to take refuge with the ideas of those who just want a little bit more out of this existence. It’s time to listen to the poets yearning for true love. It’s time to hear the cries of those admitting that they’re fearful of losing themselves in this life. And it’s a good time to turn our attention back to Devereux Scales.
On the band’s newest single, “I Will Promise You,” the group opts for a darkly romantic approach. Lyrically, the song brings to mind Robert Smith at his most honest. Musically, this is a tune built on the foundations laid down by dream pop and indie rock at its most tender. It’s a song of love and fear, a composition about seeking someone worth believing in.
Overcast Off – I’m a Hikikomori
There’s a famous in the quintessential peek into the life of a classic rock band, “Almost Famous,” where the difference between the rock stars and everyone else orbiting them is explained. The Lester Bangs-like character tells his young pupil that the reason he’s alone on a Friday night and rock stars aren’t is that they’re not cool and rock stars are.
Yes, there used to be a time when you’d just go ahead and assume that all of the people who play in bands, write short stories and run marathons have millions of friends and activities to rely on when seeking a way to spend their free time. But the illusion is dissolving. Even the most interesting people are, often, alone, tired, and unable to make changes.
The Japanese hikikomori have entered global pop culture because of their inability and unwillingness to connect with the world outside of their bedrooms. And many, including Overcast Off, have felt a kinship with these people, usually youngsters, who’ve voluntarily departed society. Overcast Off’s “I’m a Hikikomori” is a song about this, but, quite cleverly, it’s a snappy beat and a great, optimistic melody driving the song forward. Not since Ramones’ “I Just Want Something to Do” has there been a more fun song about feeling down and out, and incapable of doing something about it.
