Review: Bastille

So, I just was introduced to this wonderful band by a dear friend a couple of months ago. However, I am kind of slow-moving and skeptical when it comes to giving myself to new music. It wasn't until like two weeks ago that I purchased their extended album, All This Bad Blood, and have been listening to it non-stop. (Yes, I am also one of those people...sorry! I find new music and I listen to it obsessively from anywhere to a few months to a year - I think Mumford and Florence were both a year strong and probably the longest. And strangely enough, I usually don't stop listening to a certain artist because I am sick of it, it is usually due to the fact that move on because I have found something new to obsess over).

Anyway, well, like you do when you obsess over a new artist you look to see if they are touring somewhere near you sometime in the near future. I came to find out that they were actually just in my area of the world not that long ago...that was a sad, sad realization. Prior to Tuesday, June 17th, the closest date they released for a tour stop was sometime in October and on the East coast (I live on the West coast). And, yes, I may or may not have conspired with my sister to see if we could actually make the trip happen...yep, I did.

However, to my utter joy and delight on Tuesday I found out that they are coming to my neck of the woods (city) in November. They decided to do a Bad Blood Last Stand tour. YAY!!!

And better yet, I got access to pre-sale! And even better...wait for it...I got tickets!!! I AM GOING TO SEE BASTILLE...LIVE!!! *FREAK-OUT*

Okay, so, ever since I saw Mumford and Sons live a year ago I am trying to make it a priority to see the bands I really like live. Shortly after I saw Mumford live they ended up breaking up (but hopefully coming back). I felt incredibly grateful that I was able to see them live (I must do a Mumford post, they are so great and that concert meant a lot to me). So, I didn't want to miss an opportunity to see Bastille live.

Why is this grown woman freaking out about a band from Britain?! (Well, isn't being British cool enough?!) It has been a long time since I have listened to an album and have actually enjoyed the entire album, every song. And I wasn't expecting that from them actually. I was expecting maybe something similar, but slightly not as cool as Mumford (though their styles of music aren't similar). I love Mumford and Sons music, but there are some songs on both of their albums that I skip past and could do without, not so with Bastille's album (I have their extended album All This Bad Blood). I mean there are like two songs that, I don't hate, they just aren't as favorite as many others on the album.

They have just been surprising me again and again, and I like that. I like that one of the first times I listened to their album I was driving to work and Tuning Out came on, and I was like, "This sounds like a Christmas song?? Wait, this is a Christmas song! It is O Holy Night?! What?! Who puts a cover to one of the most powerful Christmas songs ever on their normal album?! Cool, I like that...a  lot!"

Also, I am a bit of a history NERD. So, the fact that he (Dan Smith, lead singer) wrote a song about Pompeii and Icarus won me over. However, the first Bastille song I fell in love with was Flaws and it is still one of my favorites...so much love for that song, perhaps I will do an individual post on it one of these days.

I also have been watching a few interviews with the band (you know that other thing you do when you obsess over an artist). Dan talks about how he writes songs and I appreciate his approach. He says he tries to steer clear of writing autobiographical songs (which I appreciate to an extent) and that he writes about things he has read, studied, heard, or about other people's experiences. He admits that there are pieces of his life in his music, and I think that is inevitable, but he tries to write his songs with ambiguity - which is so great! This leaves his music open to interpretation and thus I think reaches a wider audience.

Also, something else I didn't expect about Bastille was an underlining note of optimism, or hope, in their music, which sounds completely contradictory to say because the title and theme of their album is Bad Blood. It is about life and it is about humanity, which I love, but it isn't vengeful or hateful. And on a slightly unrelated note, it also isn't vulgar, ostentatious, or stereotypical popular culture music. It is vulnerable. And maybe I can't quite put my finger on why I feel that way about their music, but I do and I kind of like that it is still a mystery, that means I have more listening and searching to do.

Anyway, for now, I will leave you with some lyrics from their song Haunt. There is a line in that song that so sticks with me: "the terrifying rarity of truth." See below for more.

“The wisdom we learn as our minds,
They do burn,
They’ll entice naivety in youth,
As adults we’ll grow and maturity shows,
All the terrifying rarity of truth,
As you turn to your mind,
And your thoughts they rewind,
To old happenings and things that are done,
You can’t find what’s passed,
Make that happiness last,
Seeing from those eyes what you’ve become,
What you’ve become…”

- Haunt (Demo), Bastille, All This Bad Blood Lastly, I leave you with a few songs that I really love. Besides Flaws, I think the other two songs are only on their extended album. Durban Skies. Dan wrote this song about his parents meeting, falling in love and getting married. How precious is that! His parents are from South Africa, hence Durban. I love that in this song he says, "all I got to be thankful for."   And, of course, here are two great versions of Flaws. Enjoy! I know I do.       AND, one more because I really like this song...a lot! This is Laughter Lines.