A review of Bastille’s “Give Me The Future”

Bastille has just released their fourth studio album, “Give Me The Future,” on Friday, February 5, 2022. The album consists of 13 tracks, including two interludes and spoken poetry near the halfway point of the work. The interludes bring forward beautifully composed orchestral tracks and sweeping sounds that add to the effects of the album, and the tracks weave together a cybernetic journey that listeners didn’t know they needed to take. Each song uses its melodicism to form unique experiences across the album, whose theme is focused on futuristic and apocalyptic concepts. The band’s lyrics bring up topics of the end of times as well as a desire for love, which, when combined, create a thematic concoction that seamlessly evokes relatability within the listener. It emits emotions like love and joy in very intriguing ways that are similar to other songs being released recently. However, the way Bastille attacks these emotions makes it more impactful and effective. 

The first track on this album is “Distorted Light Beam.” This song was released prior to the album’s release as a single on June 23, 2021, and draws listeners in with a depth of background synths. The harmonies add such in-depth textures that draw the listener even further into the song and encourage them to keep listening to the album. The beat will make you want to stop whatever you are doing and appreciate the artistic vision being presented. The lyrics of this song talk about the world around us. Such lines as “If this is real life, I’ll stick to dreaming. Come see what I see,” draw the image of wanting an escape from the struggles and harshness of the world recently. The same thing applies to lines like “Feeling like, if this is life, I’m choosing fiction.” Other images are brought up through lines such as “Delete my history, choose how you see me, the future’s easier,” which brings up the concept of escaping reality with technology, and how that can help and hurt humanity in many ways. This thematic concept is solidified through the song talking about the possibility of doing anything and going anywhere while asking not to be woken up. People can be consumed by technology and may never be able to live without their devices, and that’s what this song captures. The lyrics, overall, are beautifully crafted and fit amazingly with the rhythm and melody. They easily paint an entire world for the listener to enjoy while they tap their foot to the rhythm. 

Another track that was released prior to the album’s release was “Thelma + Louise.” The song’s melody is extremely catchy and easy to remember. The way the bass guitar and drum tracks delicately work together at certain points in the song creates a rare experience that almost makes listeners feel like they’re floating. All of this mixed with a fast tempo makes for a song that’s perfect to dance to. The vocals and harmonies are gorgeous, making it easy to get lost in their sound. The lyrics of this song encapsulate the feeling of wanting to escape the world with the person you love, while also bringing in elements of end times. “Runaways under big blue skies,” paints such specific and vivid imagery, as does “Can you hear the sound of my heart exploding?” It’s clear that the singer loves their muse deeply and would do absolutely anything to stay with them. The track is on the shorter side, making the listener feel as if they need to listen again and again to get its full effect. 

The third song Bastille released before the full album was “Shut Off The Lights,” which gives the feeling of carelessness immediately. The melody will put you in a trance, while the beat and back vocals will make you nod your head without even realizing it. The use of synths, as well as background saxophone, adds texture and personality to the song, giving off a very clear vibe that almost anybody could get behind, making it easy to love. The vocals are hypnotic and fit the song very well. The way the band chants the chorus near the ending of the song adds a feeling of excitement that the listener can appreciate. The song has some remnants of songs you would hear during the summer, like “Shut Up and Dance” by WALK THE MOON. Its lyrics talk about being young, free and in love. This track will easily get stuck in your head and can be replayed countless times, letting the listener relive this experience as many times as they want.

One final song from the album that is worth mentioning is “Club 57.” This song is a breath of fresh air and is handcrafted with such delicacy that it’s easy to appreciate regardless of music taste. If a song was to ever capture what it means to live life how you want, it would be this song. It starts off with radio static, which slowly fades into the song. The addition of whistling and guitars makes this song very lighthearted and memorable, and its beat is very melodic when paired with synth and guitar. The song creates an environment of excitement and creativity around the listener and takes them for a ride around an unknown city they can only imagine, as the lyrics tell a story of an artist who came to a city with nothing but his desire and ideas. This imagery alone makes the listener feel excited for the rest of the song. Lyrics discuss topics of love as well as freedom,  but more specifically, the song talks about what makes us love people. One line says “Is it love, or are we just craving attention?” while another states “Or do we just want satisfaction?” The song captures this profound topic with a joyful theme, which just adds to its overall beauty.

With this album, Bastille has created a beautiful story of progression. They have crafted songs that, when played in succession, build an environment that will fill listeners with wonder and amazement. Their ability to blend techno music styles along with their indie roots is impressive, to say the least, and makes for an excellent album.