Cosmopolis – Nixon-Manson (2022)
When Cosmopolis spoke to us about their single ‘Sécheresse’, we delved into the terrifying yet energising realisation that time is running out as they showcased their cinematic sound. Now, they are heading in a more musical theatre direction with the dark and shadowy tones of ‘Nixon-Manson’. Leaning heavily into the late 1960s in the USA, the band brings an era of political corruption, idealisms death, crumbling empires and evil that changed pop culture to our ears.
An ambitious single, it creates the dark and somewhat disturbing musical tones that some of us have been dying for. Drawing on the best elements of their musicality, they create a riveting odyssey that you need to listen to again and again. Haunting and dark, the single packs a serious post-punk punch that will leave you dizzy and exhilarated.
‘Nixon-Manson’ curls dark tendrils of mist around your ankles through the building opening. The jittering tones that shake and rub against your sense get your heart racing slightly and set the hairs on the back of your neck on edge. The guitars and drums have a dark yet incredibly groovy movement that has you sliding into the sound. The dark wave wash of the melody leads you to guitars that howl over the melody with a haunting touch. Each note in the melody has been picked with care to swirl into a dark and enthralling tale. There is no way to listen to this melody and not be completely under the band’s spell. There are subtle touches throughout the single that add layers to the story of the single. Later in the single, there is a light gothic twinkle that seems to offer a reprieve from the haunting darkness, but only brings a new type of evil spiral.
The enthralling darkness of the haunting melody is the perfect accompaniment to the slick void of the vocals. The vocals enter after the sound samples in the opening, bringing a pair of eyes staring at you from the shadows. The shadowy feeling of the vocals enhances the foreboding darkness of the melody and brings the scary and nightmarish experiences of the lyrics to life. The lyrics touch on a lot of the issues of the late 1960s that have completely changed the world and, in many ways, not for the better. There is something about the creeping feeling to the vocals that sets your hair on edge while bringing an understanding of everything that has gone wrong.
Cosmopolis bring a dark and haunting tale of political corruption, crumbling empires and evil in the enthralling tones of ‘Nixon-Manson’. The melody curls dark smoke around you before pushing you into the groovy yet haunting soundscape. Against this enthralling darkness, the vocals spin a web of evil that has changed the world as we know it.
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