Manchester. It’s a place that’s hard to beat when it comes to the successes of its musical offspring. There’s Oasis, The Smiths, Joy Division and, since 2006, Courteeners. 18 years, 5 albums, and the odd tour later, their back catalogue is fit to burst. But, thankfully, just one more album could be squeezed in along. Their single and track five of the record sees Australian Rock outfit DMA’s help the band to create a broad metaphor for the good of change, through the lens of a break-up.
A rumble of intermittent synth (almost like the radio static of old) helps us start the journey to the past. As we look back, we are greeted by the introductory beat of drums and swell of melody. At first, these seem optimistic but as soon as lead singer Liam Fray introduces lyrics to the mix everything becomes more sour. The persona questions themself incessantly, trawling over the past. In particular, the lyric “And is this your brand new friend?” demonstrates the slow, creeping feeling that you are being pushed out of a relationship. A notion that is present throughout the middle of the song, when the guitar and beat sync into a regular pattern of gradual acceptance.
The unstoppable rhythm of Michael Campbell’s percussion contrasts the emotions of the persona foreshadowing the eventual release that’ll come from breaking away. When that release does come, it does with the alternate power of a subdued bridge aided by a more acoustic melody that removes the hectic beat, just like how finally moving out of a dying relationship makes everything so much simpler. Like a mantra, frontman Liam Fray repeats “And we’re out of here”, signalling that they can finally take their own separate paths.
The video for this song tells a parallel story to that of the lyrics. It runs with the surreal brief of the album it’s a part of, called Pink Cactus Café, showing a chaotic scrapbook of nostalgia. A reminder that past events can have a positive impact on our future selves. That’s the message of this single really; change often is good. With a song as good as this it really doesn’t seem like the beginning of this new album will be the end for the indie quintet.
Words by Matthew Carter
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