The Boxing Delivers Dark Psychedelia in ‘One by One’ [Stream]

The beginning of The Boxing’s latest single transports you back to the eighties when new wave kings New Order and The Cure reigned supreme. The dark, repetitious guitar riff echoes into oblivion for the first few seconds of “One by One,” setting the tone of the track as equal parts melodic and strange. Hailing from Leeds, the UK band came together after meeting at university, with “One by One” being their first studio single. Creating a solid sound with just three people, the band is made up of frontman and guitarist Harrison Warke, drummer Charlie Webb, and bassist Henry Chatham.

According to Warke, “One by One” is about depression and the cultural stigma that surrounds it. Cloaked in a psychedelic, jagged instrumental, the lyrics are delivered as if behind a wall of smoke. Existing within and apart from guitar, bass, and drums, the lyrics themselves and the placement of them in the arrangement articulate the distance between those who suffer from depression and the environment in which they live. Here, the band provides those who have felt misunderstood a track that embodies the frustration of being silenced. Not to mention, a solid three minutes of brooding vocals and guitar that empowers listeners by letting them know that they are not alone.