With the lyricism and intensity that a band like TV Priest have to offer it’s no wonder every release from them is one that brings me excitement. Their last single, Lifesize, is one that really grew on me over time and is what I consider a peak of their discography. So, what next?
One Easy Thing starts off the complete opposite way than I would expect. An acoustic guitar gently playing a peacefully repetitive riff before feedback and drums slowly bleed in. The instrumentation goes on to swell and grow but its relentless push forward adds to the melancholia in the lyrics. Ultimately, the anger that TV Priest display so well in many previous songs is replaced here, pretty expertly, with a sadness that cuts the listener.
With lyrics like “it’s useless but I am faithful, like a snowball in the rain” spurted out in the first 45 seconds the track paints non-stop pictures of struggle and regret. I struggle to recall a time where, lyrically, the band have put in a better performance. I may not have been expecting this song to make me feel as it has, but I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that I enjoy wallowing in the 3:27 of despair that this song puts you through.
Overall, though I love when TV Priest are at their most moshy and aggressive I can’t help but admit that it is exciting to see the band pull off a new style so comfortably. Who knows whether this spells a permanent stylistic change for the band but if it does, they are in safe hands.
Photo Credit: Hollie Fernando
