The winter weather has been terrible around here, but what about the music? Let's see what the grab-bag of singles has in store for us this time.
Bruce Springsteen - Streets Of Minneapolis
One of the most surprising aspects of this whole era of politics is that it feels as if we have barely gotten any music in the mainstream that addressed the ways the world is burning down around us. The early 00s and what seems like a quaint brush with evil generated more outrage in music than we've seen as we delve further into the depths of human depravity. Maybe we're on the verge of seeing that change, as the fault line moves further and further from a clean division, and now sees one side desperately clinging to the lifeboat as they refuse to admit they are drowning.
Bruce Springsteen is no stranger to making political music, but it's never been this blunt. "Born In The USA" still goes over people's heads to this day, and "The Rising" was more of an ethos than a statement, while this song is a name-checking diatribe set to music. The cause is righteous, and the targets deserve everything they have coming to them, but I can't help but think a younger version of Bruce would have had a more subtle hand, would have made a better song to anchor his anger.
Bruce's voice doesn't have the same rage in it as his younger days, which draws more attention to how awkward the names of Trump, Miller, and the DHS fit into the rise and fall of a melody. This song almost feels more like it should be shouted through a megaphone at a protest than sung on record. Maybe if it had the searing electric energy of "Adam Raised A Cain", or the weary and somber tone of "Devils & Dust", it would work better. But the language, along with the uplifting backing vocals, give a complicated feeling to a song that needs to be direct at every level.
But if this leads to more music tackling the existential issues of the day, replacing some of these metal bands who have dedicated their entire careers to telling stories that seem to glamorize war, it will have done its job.
Citizen Soldier & Blank Era - 3rd Degree Burns
Not long after releasing the highly enjoyable "Yesterdaze" single, Blank Era is back with this collaboration, which tackles issues of emotional instability. "Feeling means falling apart" the chorus tells us, which is very much true when you aren't in full control of your emotions. That control is a bit of an illusion, of course, as the chemicals that drive and control us are going to flow as they do. 'Control', in that sense, is merely suppressing the things we feel in order to act the part society asks of us. Feeling too much is weakness, feeling sad is a character flaw. That is not true, but it's easy to be convinced of it when the images we see tell us bluster and delusion are 'strength'. It's nice to hear a reminder that not having our shit together all the time is normal. Jaycee just screams it better than some of us can.
Xtasy - Too Late
Do genres become stagnant, or do we reach a point where we need a new experience? That's a matter of philosophical debate, but the melodic rock sphere has felt dull and stuck in place for years now. After the initial swell of retro 80's inspired bands came on the scene, it has felt like more of the same time and time again. The edges have been sanded off the sound, and sometimes the vocals are as lifeless as cliches about Air Supply. We need something unique to generate interest, and for Xtasy, that comes from Silvia's voice. Her piercing tone and charming accent are color that sharpen the edges of a sometimes pastel genre. With contributions from Erik Martensson, Xtasy have some of the best talents in melodic rock behind them. That shows through in this song, which picks up right where "Eye Of The Storm" left off six years ago. This is what melodic rock needs to be, and it's why their upcoming album is one of the few I have circled on my calendar.
Morrissey - Notre Dame
Admittedly, I am writing this bit without having heard more than a brief preview of the track, in addition to the live performances, as the official single doesn't release until tomorrow. If that sounds unfair, it probably is, but I am including it because I already had this post ready, and I feel a need to address how the song illustrates why Morrissey deserves any harsh words we can muster. "Notre Dame" has always been a repetitive and tuneless slog of bland electronica from someone whose voice is that of an old-style crooner, which already puts it in a clash of eras I don't like, but what makes the song intolerable is that Morrissey is releasing it as a single knowing full well it caused controversy when he started playing it live. Why?
Even with a slight lyric tweak for the final version, the song started its life and still exists as an echo for conspiracy theories that the tragic fire at Notre Dame was the result of terrorism at the hands of certain people Morrissey has been fond of vilifying, covered up by the powerful who want to make Morrissey's knee-jerk hatred look irrational. I'm sorry, but no song that originated from a racist conspiracy can have a second life as anything worthwhile. Morrissey's moral bankruptcy is on display in releasing this song, as he has albums worth of other unreleased tracks he could have put on the record, let alone used to promote it. By leaning into the controversy he created, Morrissey is telling us he doesn't feel the least bit sorry for the horrible things he has said, and wants to use it in an attempt to make himself money. There had been rumors this song was a contributing factor to his not being able to get a record deal. Releasing it feels like he is rubbing it in our faces, the same way all the truly awful people in positions of power now feel they are entitled to.
Every time Morrissey pops his head back up, I hate myself a little bit more.
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