This edition of LITM Rock Picks takes on the melancholic oscillations of heartbreak; from emotionally charged sentiment to quick-paced dejection and apathy. Featuring Poke A Brain, th0rn, Caitlin Mae and more!
1. Poke A Brain - No More
‘No More’ by Poke A Brain uses its guitars and percussion to set an off-beat pace, one that communicates the lop-sided nature of the relationship its lyrics describe. There’s this sense of dejected apathy that seems to prevail through the track, pooling into realisations that feel distant at first before becoming charged with electrifying clarity.
“...No more, say no more…” the narrator sings, finally seeing through the patterns that have been draining them whole. The track takes on a bit of emotion by the climax, however, cementing that final goodbye in the song. “...You want to see me cry…”.
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2. th0rn - fam0us
The song ‘fam0us’ by th0rn is a slow, chill track that seems to take on a dejected tone. Here, the narrator seems disillusioned by fame, almost as much as they’re taken by it. A moving, reflective track with apathetic tones, the song explores what feels like the price of fame.
It holds in its lines and soundscape the weight of the performative aspects of fame and the type of apathy it seems to cause. “...I don’t know what I’m doing in this crowd…”. There’s pain tinged with pride as the narrator sings, “...I think I made it, finally famous…”.
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3. JB Elwood - Visiting Hours
‘Visiting Hours’ by JB Elwood is a sentimental acoustic rock track that takes on the emotional charge and frustration that forms when realisations are made and relationships fold. “...Your actions speak louder than lies…” the narrator declares, pulling on the weight of heartache and anger that seems to crowd the track.
“...There’s no need to cry, visiting hours close tonight…”. This song becomes the narrator’s last stand, charged with emotions that simultaneously feel liberating and pained at the same time. The song’s vulnerability, tinged with sadness, makes its revelations feel all the more heavy and heartbreaking.
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4. Caitlin Mae - House Sitting
‘House Sitting’ by Caitlin Mae uses its soundscape to build this emotional charge, while its lyrics reflect on a life that was built but is now abandoned. “...Used to see red, now we see black and white instead…”, the passion that came with two lives intertwining is gone.
The song is able to pull on its emotional charge to highlight the ache of being left behind, dejected, heartbroken and alone. It swells and builds while the narrator comes to the heavy, heart-breaking conclusion that, “....in the house we built, I guess I was just house sitting…”.
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5. Plaster - Back to Basics
‘Back to Basics’ by Plaster is a quick-paced, punk track that takes its heartache on the chin. “...You got me back to basics…”, the song declares, while the instrumental and vocals seem driven apart. This is almost like one train track splitting to become two, a visual that feels fitting for something being taken from your life and forcing you to move on.
“...Shit just sort of happened…” the lyrics state, while the song descends into bright, liberating melodies. A juxtaposition that feels fitting for a track that seems to track the liberating nature of letting go.
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