Do you ever daydream about escaping our capitalist society? Perhaps you think of yourself as more savvy than the average consumer, yet you still find yourself being sucked in to the latest trends, fads and fashions by manipulative marketing strategies. If this is you, then you have to listen to the new single ‘Expensive Things’ from Chloe & the Brainwaves.
Let’s jump right in with the message from Sunderland’s breakout band: “Clever marketing strategies compel us to consume more and crave material stuff. They get inside our heads and play upon feelings of inadequacy in our lives; our jobs, our relationships, even in the food we eat. Expensive Things is about calling out and taking a stand against the corporations that have conditioned us into thinking and feeling this way.”
Fitting in with this rebellious attitude, ‘Expensive Things’ is propelled by an array of powerful and determined 90s-inspired rock sounds. When the track first opens, it’s Chloe Gardener’s bewitching vocals over a placid-yet-haunting guitar that’ll first draw you in. Following on from this seductive introduction, the band get into full swing with a thumping rhythm and tinkling guitar riff; it’s really giving that nostalgic, vampiric atmosphere. Just when you think that the track has gotten into a groove, the band step it up once again with a quickened tempo and even grungier sonic motifs. Throughout each of these sections, Gardener‘s voice is absolutely impeccable.
Accompanying ‘Expensive Things’ is a classic music video that walks the line between sarcastic and seriousness. You’ve got the passionate performance that makes us want to see them live as soon as possible, but there’s also playful caricatures of the capitalist system. Everything about Chloe & the Brainwaves brings cheer to our little socialist, indie kid hearts.
You can also listen to ‘Expensive Things’ in our Indie Rockers playlist.
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