It is so very difficult to come across a strong indie rock mixtape these days. The mixtape i'm going to talk to you about does come from Bastille though; they are a four piece unit brought together by Frontman Dan Smith. Bastille excel where other indie bands don't at creating unique pieces of pure elegance, the production used on these mixtapes in particular might recycle other tips and tricks from other artists and producers, but they're done in a completely new, exciting way. The Mixtapes feature vocals from various cuts of Television and Films as spoken word underlining the songs, to give the music new meaning, new purpose and most importantly, more substance and what we are given is powerfully compelling.
I'm not going to give you a track by track review, because I want anyone who reads this post to form their own opinions about this incredible music, but I will talk about 2 of the 7 tracks on this mixtape, the rest, I want you to figure out on your own. I assure you, Other People's Heartache, Part One, will give you a reason to put faith into new artists like Bastille.
1) Track 4 - Of The Night
I'd be surprised if you've never heard the original of this song, if you haven't, I won't bore you with past examples because I want you to focus on this beauty instead.
Bastille's production is key for this track. Opening with what almost sounds like a warning alarm and an eerie echo, Smith's eloquent vocals creep in, over the twinkling backing before the drop kicks in and Smith takes full control of the track, vocals so captivating you accept the production for what it is and take in every word you hear. "THIS IS THE RHYTHM" Bursts in, edited into a deep, angry vocal btu then the contrast - "You can put some joy upon my face, oh sunshine in an empty place"where Smith reminds you this is his song, he's taking ownership and this is his re working of a classic. The 2 minute mark is my favourite person of this song, the verse "wont you teach me to love" is Bastille at their best, the listener is shown the insecure parts of the song but reminded that the singer is in fact in control, a strong contrast which ultimately creates an effortlessly powerful scene.
2) Track 3 - Requiem For Blue Jeans
This is my favourite track from the mixtape, a completely original remix of the Clint Mansell - Reqiuem for a dream soundtrack remixed in a beautiful fashion with Lana Del Rey's Blue Jeans. The backing music from Mansell's track with Lana Del Rey's lyrics, changed to suit the style of a man's perspective leaves us with a pure musical masterpiece that allows you to wear the persona and swagger of this song like your favourite pair of jeans. The way this song is portrayed almost definitely allows you to become the vocalist, you can tell the story, and isn't it one of the best to tell? Lana Del Rey's quirky arrogance is hard to be moulded and transformed into something of your own but Smith has managed to do it in a fashion that could quite best the original. Giving the song the slower backing production allows us to feel every moment with such an intensity that the 3 minute 57 second journey is so enticing that we don't quite want it to end, at least not so early on, please Bastille, can we have some more? Every moment in this song is just flawless. The opening is key as you don't just want to be listening to another cover that a 12 year old girl uploads to youtube screaming into her hairbrush thinking she's going to become the next Justin Bieber. It's Smith's portrayal of Lana's heartache and angst-y lyrics in this track that truely make this a standout on the mixtape, Lana Del Rey, I think you've got some competition because this is eloquence at its finest. Bastille are not just an exciting glimpse at what the future of music could be, they're possibly its saviour too.
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