On the brink of releasing their hotly anticipated sophomore record Gigi’s Recovery, The Murder Capital drop its final pre-release single, ‘Return My Head’. A passionate plea for a return to normal life and live performance, ‘Return My Head’ sees the Irish five-piece deal out lashings of euphoric riffs and choruses in a track that transports listeners from their seats straight into a sweaty small-venue moshpit.
In many ways, ‘Return My Head’ is a companion piece to fan favourite from debut album When I Have Fears, ‘Don’t Cling To Life’. With both tracks forming the shortest and most upbeat (so far) on their respective albums, ‘Return My Head’ also explores similar seize-the-day lyrical themes to its predecessor. Lyricist and frontman James McGovern immediately enters the track at his poetic best, segueing into the chorus with a clear statement of his lockdown-caused desire to get back onto the stage and make the most of his life – “A ride between the eyes, just take the shot, the human prize / I read like a dream tonight but I’m still waiting for the sign”.
The Murder Capital’s innate ability to build tension and release it in massive bursts is unavoidably evident here. The verses feature major-key looping riffs from guitarists Cathal Roper and Damien Tuit and an ever-growing and expanding rhythmic accompaniment from drummer Diarmuid Brennan and bassist Gabriel Paschal Blake, the entire band a coiled spring just waiting to unleash the furious jubilation of the refrain. And that they do, with each chorus seeming to outstrip the last in terms of their levels of excitement and frenzy – McGovern’s powerful yet melodious chanting of the plea “Return my head, throw it to the crowd / Return my head, see it for what it is now” providing a perfect counterpoint to the euphoric craze behind him, and encapsulating the lyrical subjects of the track neatly.
If these themes weren’t made clear to listeners through the audio alone, the accompanying music video for ‘Return My Head’ truly hammers the point home. A successful directorial debut for Paschal Blake, the video enhances the nostalgic feeling of the track with its old-style camcorder quality and location in the bassist’s old school’s gym hall. Flicking between McGovern watching himself perform pre-pandemic and him taking the stage in the present-day hall with one-shot style transitions, this video completes the whole single package with an exemplary visualisation of the track’s beautiful chaos and its yearning themes.
With a four year wait between releases, there were perhaps some fears that The Murder Capital had lost their drive and passion for music in both its recorded and live forms. If the previous three singles had allayed the prior fears, ‘Return My Head’ absolutely trashes the latter – a track ready made for the stage, it’s sure to form a highlight of both their UK and Europe tour next month and Gigi’s Recovery upon its release in a week.
Words by David Harrold
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