
Edgar Allan Poets – Clepsydra
There used to be a fashion in 19th Century Russia among the elite where young men would full-heartedly embrace melancholy as a means to present themselves in society. This strategy was used, particularly, in a bid to launch a suitably and profitable marriage proposal.
It was not uncommon for such young men, many of whom served in the military working their way up the ranks, to write gloomy poetry, celebrating the virtues of suffering and the revelatory power of death. Such characters remain a subject of fascination, certainly, but only when their ideas remain consistent over time.
Edgar Allan Poets’ music sounds like the work of a band heavily invested in the mysterious, horror aesthetic as can be observed by the name that quotes the premier writer in this genre. Clepsydra is a marvellously slow, confident performance that brings to mind Mark Lanegan’s early solo material. The baritone vocals and alt-rock song construction create the perfect backdrop to the group’s vision of time passing meaninglessly. Tempus fugit and Edgar Allan Poets are running right alongside it.
Emily Davis and The Murder Police – Apartment Homes
Climate change is certainly a complex problem. It is, also, if we are to believe the myriad of experts that have given their verdict on the matter, a very pressing issue. Why is it then that most people ignore it, or even get crossed when the prospect of global natural disaster is brought up?
I will venture to make an assumption. The first problem is that, for one of the rare moments in human history, we are dealing with an age of plenty. In numerous Westernized countries, food is cheap, shelter is easy to come by, and resources can be wasted without giving a second though
The other problem is that, generally, the people speaking about climate change do not inspire much confidence, in the same way, stoned hippies hardly seemed like the best people to get advice on how to run society from.
Emily Davis and The Murder Police’s Apartment Homes is different. It’s not a preachy song, but one that simply approximates the end of the world and how that might interfere with our plans. It’s a charming folk-punk number about our chosen fate, and it’s a tune that can’t be ignored.