Track Of The Day: The Famous Daxx – ‘Treetops’

A deceptively light tune, ‘Treetops‘ by The Famous Daxx has layers you won’t notice at a glance. Inspired by fairy tales, the song has a playfulness in its music combined with heart-wrenching pain in the lyrics, which deconstruct the stories we take for granted as being light-hearted just because they are told to children.

‘Treetops’ is set long after the story of Hansel and Gretel’s abandonment by their father. It is sung from Gretel’s perspective as she laments the death of her brother at his own hand, after finally succumbing to the trauma of his childhood. The song makes a statement about masculinity and mental health, and its impact on men’s lives, whilst also being an exploration of how it feels to love someone struggling with their mental health and the conflicting, long lasting emotions that tragedy can trigger.

It’s a gentle song; the vocals are soft, and flow delicately over almost playful slide guitars. The sorrow in the words and the darkness of the subject matter overall is hidden by the air of lightness in the music, which itself acts as a challenge to our perception of stories. Much like the original tale, the sweetness of the sound masks the suffering at its core.

‘Treetops’ doesn’t have a happy ending. In the same breath that Gretel resolves to speak out, she fails to break the cycle – “This time I will speak my mind / I open my mouth but nothing comes out” – leaving her pain lingering in the air. The track is profound, but doesn’t pretend to have answers to the helplessness Gretel feels; it laments that all Gretel’s love ultimately couldn’t save her brother from his pain, and knows there isn’t an easy solution that can be condensed into a three minute song. But it leaves you with the undeniable conviction that it’s worth the work it will take to find one anyway.

‘Treetops’ is out now, ahead of The Famous Daxx’s upcoming debut EP TFD.

Kirstie Summers
@actuallykurt

Photo Credit: Hannah Mason

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Track Of The Day: Human Interest – ‘Mixing Paint’

Having received wide-spread acclaim for their debut EP, Desire Paths, earlier this year, and wowing crowds at shows supporting legends like Self Esteem and Dave Rowntree, London duo Human Interest have now shared an infectious new single.

Reflecting on the darkest crevices of the mind with a fizzing post-punk energy, ‘Mixing Paint‘ oozes the band’s trademark gritty allure as the sweeping power of Tyler Damara Kelly’s vocals ripple alongside atmospheric bass hooks, building with driving beats into a fiercely immersive anthem. Another single (following the utterly addictive ‘Cool Cats’) cementing Human Interest as my favourite new band right now without a doubt.

Of the track, the band explain:

“What started off as a string of 1AM ramblings on my Notes app became the processing of deeply personal experience which happened late 2021. The whole ethos of the song is about analysing the dark crevices of the mind and turning it into something light-hearted, almost bigger than yourself… We wanted it to sound like being in a smoky underground cabaret when all of a sudden the roof is torn off to reveal Armageddon.“

Mari Lane
@marimindles

Photo Credit: Dougie Chalmers

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Track Of The Day: The Empty Page – ‘Dry Ice’

Inspired by pre-lockdown nightlife, ‘Dry Ice‘ by Manchester’s The Empty Page is a love letter to the sweaty, hedonistic club nights that, despite the world gradually opening up again, haven’t quite returned to their former glory.

From the first bars, the track captures the essence of glowsticks in a dark room, the woozy joy of seeing their shine blurred by smoke and alcohol. But the sweetness of it is underlined by a sad sense of nostalgia brought on by the sheer distance of the memory. The lyrics follow the narrative of a night out, but in a way that feels like the hungover snatches of it that flash back to you later on; the verses capture those moments that stay with you one at a time, a blissful blur of strings and synths between them.

The Empty Page have chosen their moments perfectly – they’ve selected those liminal experiences that stay with you because of their simplicity. The smell of sweat and hairspray spilling out into the fresh air through an open door, the luxury of dressing up only to mess up that perfect outfit before you get home, the carbs you desperately need on your wobbly way home. The track hits those universal moments that are never the highlight of a night out, but are the very familiar beats that it’s all too easy to feel nostalgic about now. All these elements throughout the verses culminate in the pure hedonistic joy of being lost in the chorus; the wailing vocals and screaming guitars ramp up into that heady moment of pure euphoria when you forget who you are and just get caught in the crowd and the music.

‘Dry Ice’ highlights the magic in those simple moments. It effortlessly recreates the sense of togetherness that comes from being in a room full of strangers dancing as one. In the limbo between pre and post pandemic activities, the song is both a celebration and commiseration, with a conflicting but captivating emotional kick.

Kirstie Summers
@ActuallyKurt

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Track Of The Day: Panic Shack – ‘Meal Deal’

Arriving just in time for Christmas sandwich season, the latest single from Cardiff’s Panic Shack celebrates the humble meal deal. Much like a bag of fancy crisps, ‘Meal Deal’ is two and a half minutes of pure joy. The crunchy bass and frenetic drums give off a proper punk energy, while the band’s yelping vocals make for an instant earworm. It’s both energetic and effortless, kind of reminiscent of Amyl and the Sniffers (if Amyl and the Sniffers were Welsh and harboured a love of cheap sandwiches).

‘Meal Deal’ is a stupid amount of fun, but Panic Shack don’t shy away from sharing an important message. The chorus of “Feed me, I’m fucking hungry!” and lyrics that explore the realities of working in an undervalued, underpaid job are a painful reminder of how tough life is at the moment (as if any of us could forget). It’s political, but a proper party banger too.  

Panic Shack’s passion – and their rage – is infectious. Following the successful release of their sold-out debut EP, Baby Shack, and with acclaim from the likes of BBC 6Music’s Steve Lamacq, I can’t wait to see the band spread it even further over the coming months. We need them! 

Baby Shack, the latest EP from Panic Shack, is out now – order here. Catch Panic Shack live on their upcoming headline tour, or supporting faves Yard Act later this year. Details here.

Vic Conway
@thepicsofvic

Photo Credit: Ren Faulkner

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