XYLØ, the alternative brother-sister duo from Los Angeles, California have caused somewhat of a mini explosion in the indie scene with the release of their debut track ‘America’ turning more than a few heads. Just 3 months on and they have returned with a dream-state ballad entitled ‘Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea’.
The instrumentation to ‘Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea’ has an overall triumphant sound rooting from the constant march-like snare drum. This causes a juxtaposition with the passive feel you get from the lyrics and vocal delivery from singer, Paige Duddy, as she repeats “I’m drowning now, come and save me, save me” and makes frequent reference to how she feels lost and dependent on the unnamed mystery person. Despite this, XYLØ manage to keep the song tranquil and delicate without creeping into complete submission A.K.A ‘The Lana Del Rey Syndrome’.
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All in all, ‘Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea’ is written using musical clichés common to dreamy, shoegaze tracks. But, with moderation and charm, XYLØ have constructed a song that hits its mark without falling into the trap of being predictable, even if it is teetering on the edge.
Words by Alex Leadbitter