Feeling introspective and wistful? flipturn “The Fall” is the ideal soundtrack to your mood. Want to let off a little steam and jump around with the volume all the way up? Neck Deep “Heartbreak of the Century” can help! Check out both this Thursday in the Rock Band Music Store!
“The Fall” by Florida five-piece flipturn is an intense, deeply personal song with potent musicality that matches the emotional honesty of the lyrical content. The first track off of the band’s 2022 debut LP, Shadowglow, it sets a distinctly unique tone that readily establishes flipturn as amongst the best practitioners of indie rock out there.
Kicking off with radiant, jangly guitars over a jaunty rimshot drum-beat, at the 13-second point a warm bass line and drum accents are added, broadening the track’s soundscape. About 25 seconds later, Dillon Basse’s ethereal, dreamy vocals glide into the mix, completing a shimmering and otherworldly overall ambiance. While always in control, measured, and precise, things do kick into a somewhat higher gear with some nifty drum-fills at 1:06 leading to a more syncopated, accent-heavy chorus. After that first refrain, there’s a return to the relative tranquility of the first verse, but with a greater vocal intensity and a sense of the musicians barely restraining a collective, tightly coiled inner energy. The entire group – vocalist and rhythm guitarist Basse, Tristan Duncan (lead guitar) Madeline Jarman (bass), Devon VonBalson (drums), and Mitch Fountain (synth) – just ooze… “competence” – in the best possible ways! You get the feeling these folks couldn’t produce a bum note or a missed beat if they tried. As the energy really begins to build at 3:09, with reverb-soaked guitar over a steady kick-drum beat, though to the full-band crescendo during the remaining 45 seconds, flipturn puts on a masterclass of expert musicianship and intentional, cerebral songwriting and arrangement.
The subject matter of “The Fall” focuses on personal evolution and frustrations – unease that leads to over-analysis and heightened confusion. It’s heart-on-sleeve sincerity that is delivered with utter conviction and not a trace of irony. As the band says of the track, “‘The Fall’ is about letting anxiety and external issues drive one into a spiral of overthinking. The album as a whole is themed with the idea of self-actualization, but this song in particular represents an initial over emphasis of one’s self-actualization that leads to a sort of depression. It also covers the idea that sometimes when we are depressed, we excuse it as a form of innocence and how that can further our depression, thus creating the ‘spiral,’ or as we named it, ‘The Fall.’ Sonically, the song feels like falling through the clouds but in a peaceful, innocent way.”
Yes! What they said. It's not often that artists manage to achieve and convey *precisely* what was intended, but: mission accomplished, flipturn! Soaring vocals over cascading and intertwining melodies and rhythms, thoughtful lyrics, and a mix that is absolutely glistening – “The Fall” will keep you coming back for more!
Per vocalist Ben Barlow, “Heartbreak of tThe Century” is, “a classic sounding Neck Deep song: catchy, angsty, pacey, powerful, and a little bit pathetic!” Self-deprecation and levity aside, Barlow’s nonetheless got it at least mostly correct, as the cut is certainly infectious and energetic. With a release date brilliantly timed to coincide with Valentine’s Day, this February 2023 breakup single instantly became a favorite of the Welsh quartet’s legion of fans across the globe. Nothing “pathetic” about that!
After an introductory floor-tom/kick-drum mini-fill, we’re treated to an insistent, ping-ponging guitar riff that is soon joined by the band’s muscular rhythm section nine seconds in. Guitarists Matt West and Sam Bowden weave their complimentary lines over bassist (and Ben’s brother) Seb’s assertive low-end, setting the stage for the vocals to join the party at the 28-second mark. Did someone mention that this track might be catchy? Somehow Neck Deep managed to craft a song with a vocal melody so infectious that you’ll find yourself singing along before the first verse is even over. “Heartbreak of the Century” manages to be both completely new *and* immediately familiar all at once (neat trick!). The chorus doesn’t disappoint when it arrives at 57 seconds in, somehow ramping up the hooks and the energy even more. Ben Barlow proves himself to be more than just a charismatic interview subject and frontman, as the dude displays pitch-perfect, in-your-face pipes throughout the whole performance. At 2:22, Neck Deep brings things down a bit for a bass-centric bridge that leads to an extended outro comprised of multiple deconstructions of the memorable refrain.
The song’s title is something of a dead giveaway when it comes to foreshadowing the lyrical content – but there’s nothing wrong with that! Ben said, “But ultimately who doesn’t love a break-up song?!? I’m sure there’s a fan out there who’s going through a break-up at the minute, or even if you’re like me and you’re happily in a relationship, I’m sure you can relate to the lyrics. And also I think the energy of the song is just as important in how you can relate to a song, too.”
Cathartic, spirited, intense – and, most importantly, FUN; “Heartbreak of the Century” may well be the anthem of the year.
flipturn “The Fall” and Neck Deep “Heartbreak of the Century” are each featured in the Season 33 Pass. Grab both today and enjoy the full season of DLC! They can be yours for $1.99 each.
VIDEO: Rock Band 4 DLC Week of 9/7: flipturn “The Fall” and Neck Deep “Heartbreak of the Century”
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*Please note that this week’s DLC tracks will be available for purchase on Thursday, September 7th.