SeepeopleS – It Feels Heavy (2021)
For the past 21 years, SeepeopleS have been breaking boundaries and warping genres with their unique indie sound. Describing themselves as “indie-pranksters”, the US-based group has a way of embedding themselves in your brain whether you want them there or not. Over the years they have featured on various notable publications (the most recent including Hot Lunch Music and Spill Magazine), won a Pixie Award for Best Short Form Video, supported Death Cub for Cutie, Franz Ferdinand and Lotus, and working with Morphine, Tim Reynolds (Dave Matthews Band) and Parliament Funkadelic…pretty impressive, I think.
I could sit here and discuss SeepeopleS various accomplishments and experiences, but do you really want to read paragraph after paragraph about a band’s history? I’m here to tell you about their latest release ‘It Feels Heavy’, not take you on a detailed exploration of their eight albums and controversial videos – videos that were banned by Instagram and Facebook I should mention. No, I’m here to look at the single ‘It Feels Heavy’.
One of the songs from their upcoming album Field Guide For Survival In This Dying World, ‘It Feels Heavy’ is a throwback to the pop-rock sounds of the 1990s and 2000s. SeepeopleS does have a unique sound, but if you want some sort of comparison they might lie between Fall Out Boy, Weezer and Marianas Trench. Combining pounding drums with powerful guitars, ‘It Feels Heavy’ has a forceful “in your face” sound; however, it is the underlying swell of synths that brings a bounce to the single.
Showcasing their versatility and innovativeness as artists, ‘It Feels Heavy’ moves from the contemporary synth-pop style of 2020 singles ‘The Continuing Story of Bungalow Bill’ and ‘Blink’. One element that continues throughout their work from ‘Shangri La La’ to ‘It Feels Heavy’ is the provocative nature of the songs. Known for his sometimes controversial lyricism, vocalist Will Bradford brings depth to the buoyant SeepeopleS sound.
Upbeat, but with a carefully placed provocativeness, ‘If Feels Heavy’ is merges the bubblegum-pop joviality with a delicate exploration of existential truths. Filled with sentimentality and sincerity, there is a heartfelt warmth to the track; however, within the genuineness SeepeopleS graft through the grittiness of reality.
In addition to the single, SeepeopleS released an official music video for ‘It Feels Heavy’. Created by Jack Powell, the intriguing video encapsulates the journey between impossibility, empowerment and hopefulness with an old-school animation. Taking me back to the days of simplistic animative figures in the style of magazine cutouts interacting with each other upon photographs, the video adds a visual element to the provocative track…I hope that makes sense. In other words, just watch the damned video.
For more from SeepeopleS check out their official website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
