The Words Of A Stranger

Past Lives “Don’t Let The Ashes Fill You Eyes”

It’s not a huge surprise that when the Blood Brothers broke up, their two lead singers started new bands in which they never had to scream. After all, one must assume that non-stop hysterical shrieking is a young man’s game. What is kinda surprising is that Johnny Whitney and Jordan Billie have gone in rather similar directions with their respective bands, Jaguar Love and Past Lives. Whereas the former nudged his punk roots in a more glammy direction, Billie and Past Lives’ version of pop owes more to new wave and post-punk. “Don’t Let The Ashes Fill Your Eyes,” a highlight from their full-length debut, comes rather close to the sound of Wire circa Chairs Missing and 154, presenting catchy hooks with a cold tonality and harsh austerity. They really pull it off. It’s all very hummable yet totally severe, with every chord change and word spat out by Billie sleek and sharp enough to draw blood. The real trick, though, is how when they allow a bit of warmth in the form of “sha la la la la” backing vocals, the subtle shift in temperature is just enough to make you realize how frigid the rest of it really is.

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