The Chamberlains – Last Night in Norwich (2022)
Drawing on the inspiration of one of the most twisted chapters in American history, The Chamberlains bring a nocturnal shiver of rock to our ears in ‘Last Night in Norwich’. Pairing shivering guitar lines with heaving synths, the macabre lyrics top the darkness of the single. Effortlessly drawing you into the twisted tale, the dark rock tones will have you looking at the dark corners of modern society with a new perspective.
Mike Stephens is the musician and poet behind this dark tale and uses the skills he has honed since childhood to bring it to life. Growing up in a musical household, he took piano, clarinet and guitar lessons throughout his childhood. After graduating from university in the heart of the pandemic, he returned to this musical project which has been sitting on the shelf and has released a debut album and singles that explore themes of isolation, youth, gentrification and hearsay.
‘Last Night in Norwich’ has a twilight feeling to the melody that really sets the scene of the track. The reaching guitar tones have a light shiver to them as they draw you onto the darkened streets of the melody. There is a dark rock vibe to the music that has you glancing over your shoulder, expecting someone to be standing there watching. The guitars continue to shiver throughout the single and are met by a breathing synth that adds to the creeping eeriness of the track. The drums pinch at your neck, adding tension to your shoulders, before the synths and guitars compress into a coil that threatens to explode. It is a rather intense melody that effortlessly brings tension to your muscles, leaving you with the ache of fight or flight.
Creeping between the melodic elements are the vocals that bring a macabre edge to the single. The lyrics are rich in imagery yet wonderfully poetic in their flow. There is a darkness to the vocal performance that adds to the horror of the images painted by the lyrics. There is a stunningly dark feeling to the vocals that wraps around your senses. The creeping nocturnal touches of the music perfectly complement the light scratch of the vocals as they draw you into a terrible moment in history. The structure of the lyrics provides snapshots of this time that really makes the impact of the single more powerful.
Shivering guitars, breathing synths, macabre lyrics and dark vocals come together perfectly in ‘Last Night in Norwich’ by The Chamberlains. Each dark element adds to the creeping sensation of the single, as the structure of the lyrics provides snapshots of a terrible moment in history. There is a poetic flow to the vocals that is enhanced by the nocturnal flows of the music.
Find out more about The Chamberlains on his website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
