When we reviewed Remedies’ last song, ‘Don’t let it in’, back in March it was a cinematic piece that roamed across multiple styles while half scaring you to death with its ominous title.
Naturally I wondered if the follow up would follow a similar pattern but it seldom works out like that.
While the last one was a premium example of art-pop, ‘Tranquility’ is more of a rocker straight from the off with a fast, driving bass-led beat that is somewhere between Bossa Nova on steroids, a 70s soul/RnB fest from Lionel Richie and that jangly guitar stuff that Haircut 100 churned out in the 80s.
There’s nothing tranquil about it and once again they defy you to pigeonhole them.
And even more so when the song s l o w s r I g h t d o w n into a more balladic state and Sigrid Ravn Ryan’s heavenly voice takes centre stage.
For the bridge it ramps up again and then lurches off into a kazoo-sounding math rock-like guitar shred (I never thought I’d put both those phrases in the same sentence, but listen to it) possibly employing a tapping technique, before turning proggy for a few seconds and them giving way to an all guns blazing anthemic outro.
‘Tranquility’ is about embracing the simple things in life. People tend to live more hectic lives than before, as the pace of the song suggests, and are exposed to large amounts of external influences, including from social media, which creates a constant need for stimuli. ‘Tranquility’ thus “explores how we can find peace in simple, everyday events.”
While that is good to know, in my book ‘Tranquility’ would be just as good if Sigrid was singing the Koran or her tax demand from the Norwegian government.
If it had been written in the 60s, Neil and Buzz should have taken it to Tranquility Base with them. Never mind that “one small step for man” baloney – it would soon have had them, the Chinese, the Russians, the extra-terrestrials or whoever else was hanging around up there rocking around the craters.
It’s difficult to get a handle on the fact that just two people are responsible for this. Oh, and the production here is admirable.
Can they replicate these songs live? If they can they are onto a sure fire winner.
Impressive stuff and I eagerly anticipate what might be coming on what would be only their second album in almost a decade.
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