"And that's fine/ I'm wasting away," vocalist Ian Devaney announces over nervy guitars on Tournament, the opening track to Nation of Language's debut album, Introduction, Presence. "I took the long road home/ And it never paid off for me."
His words are kept afloat by the echoes of 80s synth-laden new wave courtesy of bandmates Aidan Noelle and bassist Michael Sui-Poi. It's an eloquent introduction to the trio's sonic aesthetics, one that gravitates towards the darker end of the synth-pop spectrum. One that fondly recalls the mood and tone of their predecessors, the likes of New Order, OMD, Depeche Mode, The National and Future Islands.
Released four years since the group's formation in 2016, the record carries a palpable weight of melancholia and resignation. It picks up where early singles What Does The Normal Man Feel? and I Thought About Chicago left off, all the while expounding on the themes of loss, alienation, desperation and longing with icy composure and a sharp sense of pragmatism. Tracks like Rush & Fever and September Again finds Devaney matching the less than cheery subject matter with his own aching vocals as he sings of "second hand malaise" and "some kind of vision of sunlight".
Scattered throughout the album, not only has this kind of vivid and precise songwriting been one of the band's strengths since the beginning, it also gets better with time. "You buried me/ Right where I belonged," he offers on On Division St, perhaps the most New Order-sounding cut here. Elsewhere, we're treated to the equally intriguing lines, ranging from the "To the cold kerbside/ I need a friend machine to help me outside" of Friend Machine to the "And when our conscience clears/ I can murmur something trite" of the post punk-inspired Sacred Tongue).
Quotable lyrics: "So you go back to church to reclaim the feeling/ You say you don't understand why/ And you spend extra time standing naked in the mirror/ When you wanna wear something nice" (September Again).
Listen to this: Tournament, On Division St, Automobile, Sacred Tongue.
THE PLAYLIST
Pongsit Kamphee / Wanipok
Thai singer-songwriter Pongsit "Pu" Kamphee's latest project, Karawa Carabao, sees him paying tribute to his long-time musical idol Carabao, the seminal pleng puea cheewit group behind an entire back catalogue of thought-provoking tracks that address our sociopolitical issues with bracing honesty. The project's lead cut is a cover of 1983 classic Wanipok (Busker), a tale of a blind busker set to an upbeat Latin rock guitar groove. "Living in a pitch-black world, I could only hear voices/ Seeing, searching? Only possible when I lay down in my bed, dreaming," Pu croons, complementing the original's lyrical ingenuity with his own signature melisma. It's solid cover through and through and, honestly, we can't wait to hear the rest of the collection.
Balloon Boy / Kod Kor
Moderndog's frontman Thanachai "Pod" Ujjin has launched a solo project called Balloon Boy, and you can bet that he's still bringing a substantial slice of 90s to the table. Lead cut Kod Kor falls into the easy-listening category, featuring guitar strumming, dreamy strings with sparse lyrics dedicated to childhood memories. "Teasing, arms on each other's shoulders/ The song we used to sing together, I'm still yearning for those days," he intones alongside two boys, guest singers Nara and Varin. Fans of the laid-back Pod, this is right up your alley.
Haim / Don't Wanna
Don't Wanna is the latest addition to a slew of singles teased from Haim's upcoming third studio album, Women In Music Pt. III. A follow-up to Summer Girl, Now I'm In It, Hallelujah, The Steps and I Know Alone, the song portrays a rocky love affair that proves a challenge to move on from. "I don't wanna give up on you/ I don't wanna have to," sing the sisterly trio. "Well, we both have nights waking up in strangers' beds/ But I don't wanna, don't wanna give up yet." As always, Haim have a way of turning relationship woes into a slick pop-rock number thick with lush vocal harmonies and bass groove.
Ellie Goulding / Power
The English songstress touches on modern dating on her latest offering Power, the first track to be shared from her still-to-be-titled upcoming fourth studio album. The song, set to a haunting downbeat production, is a commentary on how today's relationships are largely dictated by superciality and social media. "I'm not a material girl/ Everything in your world just feels like plastic," Goulding laments. "You just want the power/ You're not really down for love." Urgh, clout chasers are the absolute worst.
Tove Lo / Sadder Badder Cooler
Tove Lo's fourth LP, Sunshine Kitty, gets its special expanded version that comes with a brand new song bearing perhaps the most Tove Lo title ever. In this upbeat electropop cut, the Swedish pop disrupter explores that weird headspace you're in when you break up with someone who's not exactly been kind to you. At the same time, she's turning the hurt into empowerment -- "Come to my pity party/ Done with my pride, I don't mind/ I just wanna be dramatic tonight/ And make this song about me."
