Lonely is a new single from Echoglass, a fairly well known indie outfit with an established international following. The band is from Blackburn, Lancashire and is heavily associated with the Northwest of England scene, an area which has historically been brimming with artistic talent. Lonely is difficult to classify musically. It’s obviously under the indie/alternative umbrella, but that alone doesn’t tell you much. Atmospherically, the track is dark and brooding, beautiful in a haunted way. The ambiance is reminiscent of songs from artists like Leonard Cohen and Radiohead. It’s deep “soul searching” music. Obviously with a title like Lonely one would expect the mood to be a bit of a downer. The lyrics reflect this, with the theme of “a love that curses itself,” yet the music is strangely uplifting. By the end of the song I felt more energized than depressed.

The pacing is slow and methodical, but the dynamic musical changes throughout the song keep you engaged with the story. The backing is mostly piano and synth, and at certain critical times the emphasis shifts to the vocals (and vice versa.) Speaking of the vocals, the singing on here is definitely well above average for this genre. It also isn’t ruined by a lot of unnecessary processing or autotune type crap. In that sense, this almost feels like a retro recording, if only for it’s shining authenticity and genuine expressiveness. In fact, the voices are ultimately what drives the song’s emotionally haunting aesthetic, whilc the synthscape provides the ethereal backdrop.

The video for the song is professional and does a nice job of bringing the story to life visually. We see the characters’ quietly tumultuous relationship and lonely despair play out. The fact that it’s shot in black and white contributes to the dreary, rainy day atmosphere evoked by the song. We see the unhappiness in the characters’ expressions, activities and mannerisms, all of which exude loneliness and despair. That’s okay though because after all, that is what the song is about.

Obviously this band is achieving a lot of success and has already “made it” to a large extent. So, a lot of people are aware that they’re good. I’m not discovering some secret here and revealing it to the world when I tell you that this is an excellent song. It’s great to see a band making music as good as this and getting some recognition for it for a change. That must indeed be a lonely feeling.

For more info:

http://www.echoglassmusic.com/
http://www.instagram.com/echoglassmusic