Fighting in the Dark – Home
Maybe we’re all just destined to be alone, and the minute that companionship is offered to us, we do our very best to remain all by ourselves once more. The short but eventful history of rock n’ roll would certainly help prove my theory.
At first, there was silence. Then, out of the nothingness, a crushing ,danceable guitar sound invited millions upon millions of people to congregate in a gigantic dance meant to show the Universe that we can live together, and even have fun.
Then what? Music became ever more portable, tickets always got more expensive, and reasons to stay in and fade out became better and better. Close your eyes and listen to Fighting in the Dark and you’ll be transported to a world that’s not accessible by public transport.
But that’s all fair enough anyway. “Home”, this is a prog and punk-derived alt-rock song by Fighting in the Dark, is all focused on self-exploration, improvement, and understanding of one’s psyche. Do you really need people around when you’re busy doing that? There’s only one world still waiting to be discovered, and there ain’t any plane or train fare to it.
Kollektiv Kowalsky – Arno Dübel
I’m not advertising dropping out of school, breaking relations with your family and acquiring a taste for drink. However, this is a strategy that has worked for most of the really successful artists, con men, and general eccentrics of the world.
And, listen, in a world obsessed with perfection, the knowledge that you could just piss it all off the wall if you chose to, is a really helpful fantasy. Perhaps this is why, as time goes on, millions will continue to love Sex Pistols, when the recycled plastic used to print copies of Coldplay records ends up filling up landfills across the world.
But if you think you have it bad, count your lucky stars. You’re probably not German, the blessing and curse with which Kollektiv Kowalsky have been shackled. Being German is being born in, likely, the greatest nation on Earth and having to say “Thanks!” for it every day when you silence your alarm clock at 5 in the morning.
“Arno Dübel,” on the other hand, is a song about someone who wouldn’t stand for it. This modern, but bare bones, raw-sounding alt-rock song is dedicated to a folk hero, a German man who spent his life living off welfare and bragging about it. That’s as German as pledging allegiance to the King of England! It’s a mighty catchy concept, a great story, and a beautifully imperfect song.
