After releasing two albums - Cults(2011) and Static(2013) - New York indie duo Cults (vocalist/guitarist Brian Oblivion and lead vocalist Madeline Follin) have been taking time away from the stage, hopefully finding inspiration for their third act. In the meantime, fans can rejoice in the formation of Follin, a musical collaboration between Madeline and her older brother Richie (of Guards/Willowz) during their downtime from their respective bands. Having both grown up listening to 80's Southern California punk rock music, the Follin siblings are continuing their childhood musical bond in a way that mind remind you of The Carpenters, sans the meddling from recording companies and overbearing parents.
"Roxy", their first online single, is a testament to their eagerness to experiment with new vocal styles and a wide range of instrumentation: distorted synthesizers, drum machines, samples, harmonizers, tape effects and atmospheric sounds. The song is closer to the grittier, more atmospheric aesthetic Cults took on with their sophomore record, with lyrical references to the myth of Icarus and the rocky road of life:
'I flew upGot shot downA ball of fire falling from all aroundNow you're backLike beforeWas taken prisoner by a knock on the doorI know you know just what to doYou taught me things I never knewI know you know just what to doBeen there before been through it tooWas swept upTo the sunOne day its figured then it all comes undoneI guess that's what this life is really aboutOne day you're silent Next you're looking to shoutI know you know just what to doYou taught me things I never knewI know you know just what to doBeen there before been through it tooIt's something you've never been sold noThat one golden brick in the road ohAnd if you're wondering where all of it goesI get the feeling now that nobody knowsI get the feeling now that nobody knowsI get the feeling now that nobody knows'
Lyrics:
Spin's James Grebey has noted that it "turns a synth line straight out of an ’80s horror movie into cooly upbeat, moody pop jam". Follin's vocals fluctuate between a more intimate, whispery register and a angst-ridden shouty singing style, riding the song's momentum throughout and leaving me wondering what the title alludes to when it ends.
