Bastille are a British, indie-pop band that formed in 2010. The band started out as a solo project by lead vocalist, Dan Smith, but eventually morphed into the band it is today. So far, the band have released 3 incredible studio albums (plus a bunch of massive cover projects too!). Now, 2022 sees the release of their fourth full-length album, Give Me The Future. Here’s what we have to say about it…
From the outset, it’s clear that this is a different sound from the band’s previous works, with opening track and lead single, ‘Distorted Light Beam’; an electronic song with cool vocoder use in the latter half, that builds wonderfully throughout.
From there, the listener is taken on an epic journey through a much more electronic soundscape than some of their previous releases but with a much darker lyrical twist. The beats are heavy and laden with many synthesiser elements and the focus is very much on a future that’s full of uncertainty and at times, almost apocalyptic.
That said, it’s counteracted by the upbeat rhythms and dance-inspired music throughout. From the catchy single, ‘Thelma + Louise’ which oozes typical Bastille goodness to the more morbid look at the future of ‘Plug In…’ that looks at the future fate of the world and singer Dan Smith, begging to know everything will be alright; this is an album that deserves to be listened to in its entirety.
This is an album that deserves to be listened to in its entirety.
Executive produced by OneRepublic‘s, Ryan Tedder, it’s easy to see how this album is so catchy and intricate, however there are some parts where I feel it is lacking slightly. The interludes, whilst cinematic in their sound, feel somewhat unnecessary (although can imagine would be amazing to break up a live set!). Don’t get me wrong, they’re definitely worth a listen, particularly ‘Promises’ which is a spoken word poem by actor and rapper Riz Ahmed, who speaks of a less apocalyptic future but instead of one that adores a world filled with love and intimacy. However, in my opinion, whilst they add a nice break in pace of the album, I could take or leave them when relistening to it. Additionally, without these, there are only 10 tracks to the record, so my biggest wish is that there was more to it…but I guess it’s a good thing to leave the listener wanting more?!
Some of the best songs on the album, include: ‘Back To The Future’ (my personal favourite) – an epic disco-esque song with funky guitar and bass lines and movie references throughout; ‘Shut Off The Lights’ with its rhythmic vocal melodies and brilliant gang vocals, making it really stand out and album closer, ‘Future Holds‘ (featuring BIM). The close to the album is fitting both in terms of lyrical content but also its incredible use of gospel backing harmonies and broken-up beat, making it a great end to a great record.
The dystopian themes and darker lyrical content are really prevolent on tracks like ‘No Bad Days’ which features echoing vocals across its many different parts (including a wonderful piano interlude and autotune vocals at the end), ‘Stay Awake?‘ that contains the rather captivating line “stop the world, I want to get off” and the Phil Collins-like beat of the apocalyptic sounding, ‘Give Me The Future’. They are all tracks that weave their way into your subconscious and leave the listener with a lot of food for thought.
In contrast to all the future imagery though, is the rather quirky track, ‘Club 57’ that recalls back at the 70s/80s New York nightclub scene, underpinned by whistling melodies and a seriously electronically distorted soundscape, where even the acoustic guitar is distorted.
Overall, this is a very cinematic-sounding album yet incredibly electronic and there’s so much to love about it. Whilst there’s some darkness to the lyrics, in places, there is a still a degree of optimism too and a massive dose of fun to be had whilst listening to it. The production and arrangements are beautifully crafted and the album truly showcases the band’s ability to grow and evolve, in order to remain current, while still maintaining that distinctive Bastille sound. I can’t wait to see what direction the band take next!
We hope you’ve enjoyed our review! What do you think of the band’s fourth album? Are you as much of a fan as us? What would you rate it out of 5? Please leave your thoughts in a comment or via our social media.
Enjoyed this? Check out some of our other reviews here:
Dappy is finally back with the epic new tune, ‘Oh My’ featuring Ay Em. The track has a distinct afrobeat vibe to it.
The tune is less obviously catchy than some of his previous hits, but it’s still a superb track; a real urban, summer song! Hopefully this will signal the upcoming release of his second album, tentatively titled Miracles.
The music video is based in London and sees Dappy and Ay Em performing on the streets, with some quirky animations weaving their way throughout.
Take from the soundtrack to the second season of Netflix series, 13 Reasons Why, Colorado pop rock back, OneRepublic, have teamed up with American rapper, Logic, to create an incredibly fitting track.
The band’s latest single features Ryan Tedder‘s stunning and passionate vocals, on top of a thumping, almost empowering beat, accompanied by a verse about suicide, by mental health advocate, Logic. It’s the perfect accompaniment to the latest series of the mysterious teen drama.
OneRepublic have released a string of new singles now, but no album has been announced…hopefully these are all signs of one to come!
No music video has been released, as yet, but the audio video can be seen below. If one is released, we’ll be sure to keep you updated.
The idea for this post came about whilst I was contemplating creating the annual Christmas playlist I’ve done since I started Muzik Speaks back in 2015, but I quickly realised that I was purely doing it because of the time of year and with the thoughts that as a music blog, I should probably pump out something Christmassy.
Inside though, I’m just not feeling like celebrating Christmas this year and truth be told, I’ve been through a very dark patch for a few months now.I began this blog as a lover of music (ever since I can remember) but also with the old saying in mind that “music speaks louder than words” and I truly believe that in many ways, it does…hence the blog name!
However, since September this year, I was propelled into an incredibly difficult place and since then my head has gone through a very dark, deeply depressive and isolated state and it’s only now, that I’m starting to see some distant, very small rays of light at the end of the long, outstretched tunnel ahead, but with those rays, they have brought just a scrap of positivity into my life.
During the period I mentioned, one of the first things to take a hit was my passion for music – something which has always been an obsession of mine, and looking back, that was a key indicator that I was suffering from depression, although I couldn’t recognise it at the time. I’ll be honest and say that at my lowest point, for a couple of weeks or so, I contemplated suicide almost every day, for what I was being put through and how I was being treated and self-harm was something that alleviated just a tiny bit of the desire/waves of compulsion I felt, to end my life. I wish I hadn’t I let myself get to that stage now, and would never advocate someone do that, but I share this as a plea for people to seek support from whoever and wherever they can, to help give them some much needed strength during their darkest times.
As cliché as it sounds, the song ‘1-800-273-8255’ by Logic featuring Alessia Cara and Khalid came into my life by happy accident and instantly made an impact on me – it truly kept me going for a couple of weeks straight.
And then slowly but surely over the last few weeks, my passion for music has been really reignited – by mainly angry/empowering rock songs at first; Thirty Seconds To Mars‘ ‘This Is War’ was on repeat for a few days and then more recently, Linkin Park‘s ‘Faint’. The tone to those two songs really helped me to channel the anger I was feeling about the place I was in and charged me up with a little renewed strength.
However once I’d started to get over the anger, I began to truly take time to reflect where I was at with my mental state and objectively begin to deal with my dark thoughts and the things that were eating me up inside. It was at that point that a whole host of songs began to play their part in reshaping me and helping me to truly confront with what I was going through.
That is why I decided to create a playlist that is very personal to me and filled it with the songs that had a hand in keeping me alive, helped me to regain a fraction of my normal self and begin to deal with things, each in their own unique way.
I guess in some way, I’m hoping that this playlist will reach even just one person who is going through a similar rough patch and that it helps them to fight back against their depression and regain their confidence and love of life, or that someone who has already come out the other side can relate to this and appreciate the songs for their unique qualities, thought-provoking lyrics and/or empowering styles.
I should add that I have been very lucky to have my partner, family, some good friends and even my dog (not that she’ll ever know it) to support me through this bleak time and they too have played a vital role in helping me get through this.
Additionally, I sought some counselling – at first it was over the phone but I quickly found that I was craving some human interaction and so went to meet a counsellor and that too has been invaluable to helping me, so I recognise that whilst it’s not entirely the music that has helped me, it was during the times, when I was alone, that this music kept me company, provided me with time to think and played a vital role in aiding me to recover some of my former mental well-being.
I just think that at this time of year, people can feel so alone and having been through what I have, I understand that not everything is joyous for everyone at Christmas time and so I am hoping this playlist will provide something different for people who are feeling down, depressed or suicidal and that it might provide some sort of pick-me-up that you might need or that my story or the music strike a chord with someone and give them something to stop and think about.
My message to anyone who is struggling is just know that things can get better if you hang in there. Believe in yourself and most importantly, take each day as it comes. Fill your time with things you enjoy doing, however small or simple – embrace them. Talk to whoever you feel comfortable talking to, whether it be friends, family or someone anonymous via a helpline – don’t bottle things up. Find joy in music you love, films you enjoy or any other things you like to do and try to take your mind off what you’re worrying about and try to envisage what a happier future would look like.
Finally, I really would like to take the time to ask you to donate to a good cause – if you are going through something similar to me, you have already been through it and managed to come out the other side or even just that you have enjoyed this playlist or felt something for my story, then please visit our JustGiving page www.justgiving.com/muzik-speaks or www.papyrus-uk.org/donate (please quote Muzik Speaks somewhere in your donation) and make a donation – £5 is enough to pay for one phone call, text or e-mail with a young person – you truly can help ‘Save a Life’.
*UPDATE* – 8th July 2018
Life continues to get better, but I still find I have to take it day by day. My journey through fighting what I’ve been put through continues, but music is certainly helping to empower me. Sure, I still find I have ups and downs and there are certainly days where dark thoughts pass through my mind and there are definitely times where I’m consumed by rage but I suppose that’s all part of the healing process.
I also have to reflect on the good things in life; my loving partner, my beautiful dog and companion, my wonderful family, my ever-supportive friends, music, this blog…there’s lots to be positive about! That’s so important when you’re finding life tough – no matter how hard it is and how hopeless you might feel, take just a minute to try and find something positive, no matter how small it may be and reflect on that. Try to push the dark thoughts out of your mind (or at least to the back of it) and know that life can get better, you just have to hang in there.
And talking. I still maintain that finding someone, anyone, you can trust and talk to, is paramount to fighting your inner demons. The old saying, “A problem shared, is a problem halved,” is very true and should not be underestimated.
I feel this journey may continue for many months to come, until I feel fully back to my normal self, and so undoubtedly this playlist will continue to grow but in the months since I first posted this, I have found 10 new tracks that have continued to help me.From the beautiful William Ryan Key‘s ‘Vultures’ to the angry anthem that is ‘F.W.T.B.’ by Yonaka; Panic! At The Disco‘s ‘(Fuck A) Silver Lining’ is a satirical and uplifting track whilst A R I Z O N A‘s ‘Freaking Out’ helps with those times you just want to let loose and go a bit mental; music is really helping to heal some of the pain.
So, to all of those on this playlist, thank you for making your music. You don’t know how much you’ve helped, and continue to help!
Playlist
Greyson Chance – Seasons
Logic – 1-800-273-8255 featuring Alessia Cara & Khalid
You+Me – Open Door
Kesha – Praying
Years & Years – Eyes Shut
Demi Lovato – Skyscraper
Justin Bieber – I’ll Show You
Kyan Palmer – Burn Mona Lisa
The Fray – How To Save A Life
Angels & Airwaves – A Little’s Enough
SafetySuit – These Times
Jessie J – Who You Are
Nicki Minaj – Fly featuring Rihanna
Thirty Seconds To Mars – This Is War
Linkin Park – Faint
Yellowcard – Fighting
Story Of The Year – Can Anybody Hear Me
Jimmy Eat World – Electable (Give It Up)
Angels & Airwaves – Lifeline
Good Charlotte – We Believe
SafetySuit – Looking Up
Remedy Drive – Daylight
Bars & Melody – Scream
MUNA – I Know A Place
Kesha – Learn To Let Go
Superfruit – Future Friends (Brian Robert Jones Choir Remix)
You+Me – Unbeliever
You Me At Six – Carpe Diem
Simple Plan – I Don’t Wanna Be Sad
OneRepublic – I Lived
Update – July 2018
31. William Ryan Key – Vultures
32. A R I Z O N A – Freaking Out
33. Shawn Mendes – In My Blood
34. The 1975 – Give Yourself A Try
35. YONAKA – F.W.T.B.
36. Good Charlotte – Actual Pain
37. Ariana Grande – No Tears Left To Cry
38. Jess Glynne – I’ll Be There
39. Panic! At The Disco – (Fuck A) Silver Lining
40. SafetySuit – Victory
If you have a story you are willing to share or you want to discuss anything in this post, then please leave a comment; I would just ask that you remain sensitive with what you write on this post please. I also urge you that if you yourself are feeling suicidal or you are concerned about someone, to please call PAPYRUSon 0800 068 4141, text 07786 209697 or e-mail pat@papyrus-uk.org – whilst I am always happy to talk, I’m not a trained professional but people at PAPYRUS are, and will do their best to help.
It’s the 1st August and summer is in full swing! As such, I thought it was time to present you with our next playlist – #SummerSongs 2017 (following on from #SummerSongs 2015)!
This 30-track playlist has been lovingly crafted with over 100 minutes of summery songs, both new and old, that I really love and put me in a great mood and I hope it’ll do the same for you too 🙂
If you already own the songs and want the custom artwork, please feel free to copy/download the artwork below:
#SummerSongs 2017 – The Playlist
This mammoth, tune-filled playlist includes the following summer anthems:
Ed Sheeran – Castle On The Hill (Throttle Remix)
OneRepublic – Rich Love featuring Seeb
A R I Z O N A – Feed The Beast
Jonas Blue – Mama featuring William Singe
NEIKED – Call Me featuring MIMI
Sigala – Came Here For Love featuring Ella Eyre
Phats & Small – Turn Around
Nevada – The Mack featuring Mark Morrison & Fetty Wap
Rita Ora – Your Song
Anton Powers – Baby featuring Pixie Lott
John Gibbons – P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)
Zedd – Stay featuring Alessia Cara
Will Joseph Cook – Plastic
Miley Cyrus – Malibu
Luis Fonsi – Despacito featuring Daddy Yankee & Justin Bieber
Calvin Harris – Feels featuring Pharrell Williams, Big Sean & Katy Perry
Katy Perry – Bon Appétit featuring Migos
Ke$ha – Learn To Let Go
Disciples – On My Mind
J Hus – Did You See
Bruno Mars – That’s What I Like
Shawn Mendes – There’s Nothing Holding Me Back
The All-American Rejects – Sweat
Club Drive – International
Busted – One Of A Kind
The Maine – Bitch Better Have My Money
Life Of Dillon – Rocks
Paramore – Forgiveness
Sheppard – Geronimo
Coldplay – A Head Full Of Dreams
I’ve gathered only the best songs which I hope will be the soundtrack to your summer – I want this summer to be one you’ll remember…for the best reasons! Check out the playlist on Spotify.
After releasing an open letter to fans, in which Ryan Tedder reveals that he nearly suffered a nervous breakdown and pulled the plug on the band, he informed fans that OneRepublic were changing!
From now on, the band are planning to release new music as and whenever they can – no album cycles, just new music! This is a refreshing outlook for a band and means that they won’t be bound by recording albums in the same way any more.
As such, the first single the band have released (after pretty much abandoning promotion of the uber diverse record, Oh My My) is their new track, ‘No Vacancy’ and my word is it a summer banger!
The track has hints at the current tropical house trend yet still retains that iconic OneRepublic sound – the track is an instant hit and just reinforces the golden nuggets they can produce!
No music video’s been released but the lyric video is below – check it out!
What are your thoughts on OneRepublic’s latest single? Got a #FeelGoodFriday track to recommend us? Please leave your thoughts or song suggestions in a comment or via social media.
‘Kids’ is the new single taken from OneRepublic‘s upcoming, fourth studio album, Oh My My.
The band just go from strength to strength, taking on new sounds with each new release. This song is incredible and the video is great too…it’s just an amazing track and has got me super excited for their upcoming album!
What do you think of the band’s latest track? Are you excited to hear Oh My My? Do you like the video? Please share your thoughts or own choice for #FeelGoodFriday in a comment below or on our social media accounts.
Last week, OneRepublic made a triumphant return with their new single, ‘Wherever I Go’.
The single marks the upcoming release of their fourth album and sees the band return with their trademark indie-pop sound.
It’s the first new song they’ve released since the mammoth success of their third album, Native. It’s got a great, catchy chorus and a really fantastic ascension as the song progresses. It’s definitely left me excited about their upcoming record!
Reggie ‘N’ Bollie – what a pair! I can’t believe I’m featuring them, as I wasn’t really a fan when the duo were on X Factor, however this song is so damn catchy and uplifting, I can’t help but love it!
Reggie ‘n’ Bollie (formerly known as Menn on Poinnt) are a duo from Ghana, made up of Reggie Zippy and Bollie Babeface.
The pair did really well on the 12th series of X Factor, coming in second place and have subsequently signed to Syco, releasing their debut single, last week.
No official video has been released as of yet, but we’ll keep you updated on when one is released.
This week, Muzik Speaks turns 1 year old and to celebrate, we’re giving you a themed playlist, for each day this week. The playlist will contain all of the songs we’ve featured on our blog during the past year, all themed around the corresponding day.
Today, it’s #MellowMonday and our playlist includes:
This week, as it’s Christmas, I’m going to post a themed track, as usual, but am adding to a special Christmas playlist, each day.
Every day this week, you can expect 5 new tracks to be added to the playlist (based on the theme that day), which means by Christmas Day, you should have a special 25-track Christmas playlist! Please either subscribe to the YouTube channel or follow the playlist on Spotify 🙂
The Used – ‘Alone This Holiday’
The Used are known for being a post-hardcore/screamo band and back in 2005, the band released a Christmas song, as a B-Side to their single, ‘I Caught Fire’.
This song is definitely not your traditional Christmas tune, but it’s a good one and makes the perfect #WildCardWednesday track! Bert McCracken‘s vocals are just incredible, as usual!
Chicane shared our post and we’ve been lining up some interviews for November – it’s been an amazing month and I can’t wait for November to start!
We hope you have enjoyed our song choices throughout October and you can find the Spotify and YouTube playlists below!
Please keep sharing our posts and sharing songs with us!
OUR CONTINUED AIM
We’d like to ask you, to go ahead and ‘like’ our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/muzikspeaks) and ‘follow’ us on Twitter (www.twitter.com/muzik_speaks). Then if you could please post a status or send a tweet to your followers and friends to ask them to check us out, we’d be really grateful! We want to grow this community and we honestly can’t do it without your support!
Lastly, please, please respond to our posts on Facebook or leave comments on each of our blog posts with your own tracks for each of the daily themes – we want you to share what you’re listening to because we love music as much as you, and we really enjoy finding out about new tunes. Thanks so much!
Muzik Speaks 