Bastille has been rising in popularity since their single “Pompeii” finally got the attention of local radio stations. No matter what genre you’re partial to, it’s almost impossible not to belt the lyrics out alongside frontman Dan Smith, who’s adorable native British lilt is apparent throughout the song.
“Pompeii” isn’t the only catchy tune that the band has created, though. Their latest album “Bad Blood” is full of ballads that are guaranteed to grab your attention.
As the trend of being a “hipster” rises, indie rock bands similar to Bastille have been getting the attention of teenagers and young adults across America. Though Bastille is guilty of being on the indie/hipster side, they are able to pull it off with a new edge. Their sound — to me — is very similar to a mixture of Grouplove and The Airborne Toxic Event, but Bastille has an extra, unexplainable flair that they demonstrate through “Bad Blood,” which makes them all the more appealing.
Containing a total of 15 tracks, the album’s best attribute is their lyrics. Vague, yet deeply personal, it as apparent that the words were carefully chosen for each song. Each song gets a message across without explicitly saying what needs to be said.
Whether you’re listening to “Things We Lost In The Fire,” a bittersweet song about the glory days and how they may never be repaired, or “The Weight of Living Part II,” which is a song that everyone — particularly high school students — can relate to because of its nostalgic and truthful tones (“All that you desired, when you were a child/ Was to be old, was to be old/ Now that you are here, suddenly you fear/ You’ve lost control (You’ve lost control)/ Do you like the person you’ve become?”), their songs are guaranteed to really makes you think. The vagueness in the lyrics is a great thing because it allows the listener to interpret the songs in any way they desire.
Bastille is even able to incorporate Biblical stories and Greek mythology into their album and still make a great, meaningful song out of the story of Icarus, who was the son of Daedalus who used wings made by his father to escape Crete and flew too close to the sun. The wax melted and he fell into the Aegean sea and drowned. Bastille uses that reference to compare us all to Icarus. It gives off the message that he’s analyzing today’s youth and their recklessness while trying to bring us back to reality.
“Drinking from a paper cup/ You won’t remember this./ Living beyond your years/ Acting out all their fears/ You feel it in your chest/ Your hands protect the flames/ From the wild winds around you./ Icarus is flying too close to the sun/ Icarus’s life, it has only just begun.”
In “Daniel in the Den,” the band takes the Biblical story of Daniel: a prophet who continued to worship God against the king’s will. The king was angered, and Daniel was thrown into the lion’s den to be eaten alive, but God sent an angel to protect him. Bastille uses the story of Daniel to talk about four main points: forgiveness, love, disappointment, and moving on.
Though all of Bastille’s songs have some sort of deeper, hidden meaning that may be hard to interpret, in most cases it is because the songs are so deeply personal. My favorite track, “Laughter Lines,” happens to be the most personal and romantic song on the entire album. Smith reveals deeply personal memories with a lover, and the hope that their love lasts for many years to come.
“I’ll see you in the future when we’re older/ and we are full of stories to be told./ Cross my heart and hope to die,/ I’ll see you with your laughter lines.”
The overall tone of the album is very thoughtful and gentle. Smith’s voice is seeps with passion, but is also very soothing. I highly recommend this album to anyone who is a fan of songs that are thought inducing, romantic, or just simply relaxing.
4/5 Stars
