At the end of last year, Lee Feather and The Night Movers swooped to reprieve us from the sugary seasonal music with a slice of off-kilter commentary, ‘Drugs For Christmas’. Now, the London-based project is back with another dystopian view of modern life with ‘Everybody Sings’, which has been lifted from their debut EP.
From the opening, a jaunty keyboard melody and New Romantics clapping percussion set the nostalgic atmosphere. It immediately puts the listener in mind of the over-polished cultural veneer of the late 80s/early 90s, with its sparkle and lustre set in stark contrast to the society and economic hardship of the time. This same feeling resonates today, particularly in lyrics like “sad, sad news on all the freeview TV stations, there’s a sad, sad colour to this darling life.”
Those lead vocals are laid-back yet steeped in melancholia, which then deftly deliver the poem-like narrative to unfold layers of cynicism, despair and clarity. There’s a palpable tension throughout ‘Everybody Sings’, between the reserved vocals and glowing synth-pop textures, hinting at something darker just beneath the surface.
Lee Feather and The Night Movers‘ idea of everybody doing the same action, of communal conformity, of society blindly walking towards the brink really provokes a deep unease. Tracks like this are proof that a protest needn’t be loud, just so long as it’s articulate and honest.
You can also listen to ‘Everybody Sings’ in our Outsiders Club playlist.
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