Canadian outfit Ducks Unlimited’s jangle pop track ‘Get Bleak’ works on a fairly simplistic, repetitive melody which quickly becomes a little catchy earworm.
The premise of the song is about the idea that moving somewhere else is going to solve all your problems. Frontman Tom Mcgreevy said: “It’s something that I’ve heard expressed by a lot of friends in one way or another, especially as more and more people are getting priced out of cities like Toronto, New York and London.”
It’s quite a ‘bleak’ notion to say the least, but with the peppy 80s-sounding musical accompaniment it’s easy to ignore the depressing subject matter as you lie by a poolside soaking in the sun.
Mcgreevy’s vocal style is very laid back, much like the track itself, and his meandering delivery style is what reminds me of Charlie Fink, of Noah and the Whale fame. The band’s influences include artists such as The Go-Betweens, Field Mice and The Chills.
The track also features elements from Laura Hermiston of the Toronto band, Twist, and will form part of an EP that will be released by Ducks Unlimited later this year.
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Words by Beth Kirkbride