Tuesday 8 February 2011

Heartbreak, I'm Not Holding Your Hand Anymore

of course after the last song (and the first taste of the new album) - whatever
that followed was going to have a hell of a lot to live up to ... so on a very sunny
wintery morning came the release of 'Euphoria, Take My Hand' - the first single
from the second album.


just like last time you are mesemerised instantly. within the first 7 seconds.
... and this is just by the music in the background - it's like bursting into a
church and getting that brief full impact of angelic choral sound ... it doesn't
last long but it's the sound of cascading beauty with echoes of Annie Lennox's
'Why' - very solemn (yet also really uplifting) and then in the midst of that
feeling, guitars suddenly come in and I swear when I heard it my heart just
dropped as it was so damn perfect - it was just the right tempo change at the
right moment. this sudden emotional upturn coming from nowhere ... it's no
wonder that it impacted you so much.


the feeling builds and it's all U2 (Where the streets have no name) mixed
with The Killers 'All these things that I've done' emotion - but don't let that
give you the wrong impression, this is way more subdued and introspective
sounding ... amidst all this I've just gone and looked up the lyrics  ... I mean I
loved it before but NOW I've seen the lyrics 
 ... Geez, is this song gonna get you.

the 'Heartbreak I'm not holding your hand anymore, why can't you understand,
Euphoria take my hand' refrain sees the re-emergence of that euphoric choral
sound pushing to the forefront and combined with those lyrics is something
quite incredible.


the 'I Wish Upon A Falling Star' part where the music falls back, brings you
right down with James to the bare feelings at the heart of the song ... it's subtle
and delicate yet fills you with such emotion that it deserves to be screamed out
loud at the top of your lungs at their gigs ...


like last time it's the repeated lines that impact the most ... they begin at
3.21 with 'Euphoria, take my hand' repeated 3 times - you wouldn't think that
the same words, just repeated could have such an effect - but yet again they do,
and they pave the way for the crescendo of the final EUPHORIA ... this roaring
moment of clarity booming out from the speakers, that leaves you sitting there,
in silence. astounded.


the thing that made this moment have such an impact is the fact that the drums
are very precise (military style) but this is juxtaposed with the EUPHORIA
phrasing that is all free-flowing and unrestrained.


the end of the song has a return to the cascading beauty that started off the
song, all shimmering and then just burning out - it's like that brief moment of
catching the sun in your eyes on a winters day... that split moment of feeling
invincible ... except this time you've just just felt it for 4.35


you need this song, THIS BAND in your life.

EUPHORIA TAKE MY HAND is available for download now.
the album 'EUPHORIC /// HEARTBREAK
\\\'  is released on 4 April.


 

and then after all that ... all that from JUST hearing the song - I saw the video for
the song - really.no.words.

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