Nostalgia. It’s not what it used to be.
Ok, there’s nothing we can do about that hoary old pun, it’s happened and we all just have to move on with our lives.
Golden Age the forthcoming single from Giant Fang is deeply, pleasantly nostalgic in both musical form and lyrical content. It’s a sort of synthy, expansive thing. M83 is the most obvious comparison, a lot of the same sort of musical elements are there, like haunted three-note keyboard lines, synth bass and half-time drum machines and echo hanging over everything like fine mist. Whilst M83 always sound like wandering city streets alone at midnight, Giant Fang sound more like they belong on the closing credits of some coming-of-age film from 1986 where high school misfits who hang out in a public library or something learn a lot of lessons about life, friendship and growing up. You know the kind of thing. They’re also a lot less French, and you can hear the lyrics.
"We were the saviours / we were the sons of a golden age" is the refrain, whilst a high, happy/sad melody tugs at you and reminds you of how nice it was to feel that optimism. There’s a sort of suggestion implicit in the music that maybe, yeah, just maybe, you could still feel that way again, from time to time.
If I had a criticism, I think they could do to diversify their influences. This is a good song but very much cut from a pre-existing sonic template. It also ends kind of abruptly, just sort of stopping rather than concluding, but overall this is a very enjoyable track.
- Tom Everett
Giant Fang - Golden Age is out on Pop unLTD on 20th October.
