You Fool! – Empire Pts. I & II
Similar artists: Alvvays, Japanese Breakfast
Genre: Indie Rock, Alternative Rock
Most of us haven’t seen the world stop. Not for a moment. And the majority of us would like to keep it that way.
Why would it stop? Surely, big business wouldn’t stop unless forced by some kind of disaster. Naturally, any kind of economic disaster is bound to affect more than one industry. It’s bound to affect the rest of us too.
Then, most reckon, maybe it’s better if the endless movement of the big cities never stops. Maybe it’s better if people who are always running from one place to another, doing their very best to move up in the world, are never interrupted. Perhaps it’s better if life remains predictable.
But, all of us, got a chance to see the world stop and not long ago. It was terrifying for most. But, for some, it was just like falling in love. It carried a certain promise with it. The world could be different. The future was unwritten.
It’s hard to decide if “Empire Pts. I & II” by You Fool! is a song about being terrified or about falling in love. It’s certainly a song about facing the world as it ended. The characters in the song are talking about “The Catcher in the Rye” and walking empty streets. There’s hope and horror there. Yeah, it’s just like falling in love and You Fool! Manage to put that to music.
Meagre Martin – Malcolm
Similar artists: Snail Mail, Soccer Mommy, Alvvays, Lomelda, Chastity Belt
Genre: Lo-fi Rock, Indie Rock, Alternative Rock
I’d like to think that I’ll be listening to silly punk-rock music for the rest of my life. And, despite the evidence, I’d also like to think that this choice will greatly improve my life. While it may sound odd to say it, the truth is that pop culture has, for many of us, become one of the fundamental ways in which we define out personalities.
But make no mistake about it. You still need to choose. Make the wrong choice, and you’re in for a lifetime of misery. Opt to give your undivided attention and your years of service to the wrong band, television show or movie franchise and you’re bound to, at the very least, pick up a number of bad habits and, at worst, have your heart broken.
Meagre Martin’s “Malcolm” is an ode to American pop culture on the surface and, should you dig deeper, a love song to commitment and togetherness. The German group has chosen its hero well. It’s not just wholesome television shows that they’re into. They also like crushingly loud grunge guitars playing over detached, world-weary vocals. And with choices like this, they’ll be the ones leaving an impression on others soon enough.
