Idle Lives – Distress Signal (2018)

Idle Lives is a rock band that was born in 2016.  The group is made up of Josh Pulgarin singing vocals, Chris Pulgarin and Chris Klumpp on guitar, and Joey DiBiase on drums.  The American band have recently released their new single, ‘Distress Signal’.

‘Distress Signal’, for me, was a song about overbearing depression or stress.  He has lived with it for so long that it has become a part of who he is and he doesn’t know to change or break away from it.  It is their natural state.  I like the line ‘tired of repeating myself’ as it holds irony in the way the lyrics are sung.  He is singing about being tired of being stuck in the same loop, yet he repeats words and the chorus over and over again.  This reinforced the idea that he is trapped in the life he leads, which appears to be draining him.

The music to Idle Lives’ song adds to the story that they are trying to tell.  First with the muffled lyrics and faraway vocals at the beginning of the song which shows he isn’t really into what he is singing, like he doesn’t want to give in to the depression.  The instrumentals for the verses are slightly out of time and offbeat, which acknowledges the confusion that distress brings with it.  Then I like how the chorus is more intense and upbeat with the introduction of the guitar, as it shows he is giving into the distress and making it his own; trying to rule it before it ruins him.

Overall, I think Idle Lives created a brilliant song that holds a story in the lyrics, which is carried out through the instrumentals.  They committed to their tale in every way and found a way to show their dominance over distress.

‘Distress Signal’ is available via Amazon and iTunes.  You can enjoy more Idle Lives on Spotify, Facebook and Twitter.

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