Bastille releases lengthy album for diverse fans

Indie+rock+band%2C+Bastille%2C+relapses+their+newest+album+Give+Me+The+Future+%2B+Dreams+of+the+Past+on+Friday.+

Photo courtesy of Genius

Indie rock band, Bastille, relapses their newest album “Give Me The Future + Dreams of the Past” on Friday.

By Lucy Bridges, Staff Writer

Last Friday, Bastille released a double album, “Give Me The Future + Dreams of the Past,” consisting of three separate discs and a total of 27 tracks. The LPs have a wide variety of different stylistic methods, lyrical meanings and instrumental rhythms, making them relatable to many different audiences.

Bastille is an indie-rock band formed in 2010 by lead singer Dan Smith. The band consists of three other members, guitarist Will Farquarson, keyboardist Kyle Simmons and drummer Chris “Woody” Wood. Together, they create a unique and powerful sound, which is beautifully portrayed throughout their new album.

“Give Me the Future + Dreams of the Past” is an expansion of the band’s album “Give Me the Future,” which was recently released last February. In an Instagram post, the band revealed that it wrote and experimented with a lot of music, but wanted its first album to be concise, holding off on releasing the remainder of the music it wrote.

“The plan had always been to keep expanding on the stories and sound and to explore more ideas,” Bastille said on its Instagram.

These unreleased songs came together to make up the new album.

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The first disc on the album is “Give Me the Future,” which consists of futuristic melodies and rhythms, specifically with unique lyrical elements added to the songs. One song, “Stay Awake” begins with a rigid, robotic female voice saying, “Give me the future / Give me confidence.” Throughout the tune, Smith sings about differentiating between real life and imagination, while also wanting to dream of the future. In “Back to the Future,” lyrics like, “So close your eyes and melt away” and “Change my life” are sprinkled throughout the song, giving glimpses and hopes of the future to the listener.

The instrumental music in the first disc plays a large role in reflecting the message of the future to the audience. Overpowering yet thoughtful guitar and keyboard push the techno sound throughout each track, melodiously blending with the meaningful futuristic lyrics of the song.

Contrastingly, the second disc, “Dreams of the Past,” centers around nostalgia. It begins with an interlude where a robotic voice transports the listener from the future — full of modern and visionary music — to the past. Smith brings upbeat and nostalgic lyrics, catapulting family, beauty, dreams and love to the forefront of listeners’ minds. The lyrics in the second disc offer a relaxed and happy vibe, inspiring nostalgic thoughts of the past. In “No Bad Days,” Smith sings of the security of the past in contrast to the unknown of the future in the lyric, “So your future is lost, but they can’t take your past.”

Much softer music accompanies the lyrics in the tracks on the second album. Smooth and delicate piano intertwines with the vocals, telling a story of innocence and beauty. Guitar and drums are also strongly represented, radiating the childlike happiness that clouds thoughts of the past, allowing the listener to fall into a feeling of calmness.

The third disc begins again with a robotic interlude, thanking the listener for “visiting the world of the future” and welcoming them to “Other People’s Heartache,” where the robotic voice drifts away saying, “We hope you enjoy dancing through the tears.” “Other People’s Heartache” consists only of six songs, but they are powerfully and emotionally written and sung, driven by the pain of heartbreak. The vocals in each track are irresistibly catchy and encourage dancing. In “Dancing in the Dark,” Smith anticipates the chorus by repeating the lyric, “You can’t start a fire without a spark.”

The drums, guitar and keyboard work seamlessly together in the third disc to create ultimate dance party songs. The guitar begins soft, accompanying the vocals. Whereafter the keyboard and the drums join in, forcing energy and joy into each track.

“Give me the Future + Dreams of the Past” is an album unlike any other, embodying the sheer creativity behind the indie-rock band. On its Instagram, Bastille said the idea behind the new album was to “choose your own adventure,” allowing all its fans to find connection and meaning behind one of the many brilliantly orchestrated songs.

 

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