Croydon's Best of Enemies make a triumphant return with their brand new single "Bad News" today, 24th October.
"Bad News" follows on the heels of April’s EP ‘A Fear That Comes Around’ and is a little more mellow than previous singles.
“The song was inspired by all the facepalm moments and all the mess that’s come out of the UK in the last few years.” front man Sam Christmas tells us. Part of me thinks that the dreaded Brexit word may well have some influence in the lyrics. “All of our songs before have been written from personal experiences, so it was a welcomed change for us as a band to collaborate on the lyrics and really get across how we all feel about what’s happening right now over the world.”
Opening with a hopeful sounding introduction reflecting the mood of the country as they collectively hold their breath in preparation for what may come, Sam's vocals come in with the message of anxious disappointment as we're delivered more spin and general bad news. The vocals are more than tinged with frustration and an element of sadness, the perfectly weighted emotionally charged delivery for the subject matter.
Musically, the verses bring the same anticipation to the proceedings. Deliberately stripped back to emphasise the vocals, the guitars are sparse and the bass and drums are just enough to remind us they exist, sliding effortlessly into the first chorus, restrained but clearly being held back, and for good reason. Were the song, for example, to relate to Brexit, the verse seems to represent the nonchalance that seemed to overwhelm the country at first.
The song continues to build, again seeming to represent the growing political noise as we are treated to some gloriously uplifting guitar riffs, angst-filled bass and powerful drums that allow a final, powered up push into the chorus which brings the song to a dramatic end, the point has been made, the talking has ended and the rapid fade leaves you either feeling isolated or optimistic.
It's a very clever song with the lyrics, music and vocals all perfectly representing and supporting each other. It's not a total shift in style for the band, merely a small sidestep that demonstrates their versatility and ingenuity. There currently isn't a video available but click this link to hear the track on Spotify.
Speaking of what’s next for the band, Sam enthuses “we’d love the chance to do an album. We’re currently writing and will be recording ad hoc over the next year. We’d love to do some more collaborations and to have a real collective effort we can show and be truly proud of.”
Over the last year, the band have had singles featured on Kerrang! Radio & BBC Introducing including a special acoustic version of "I'm in Hell" as BBC Introducing ‘Track of the Day’. The positive press from the likes of Already Heard, Dead Press, Alt Corner & Punktastic secured
a slot at Camden Rocks Festival.