I can’t pretend I need to defend some part of me from you

This has got to be in my Top 10 favourite tracks of all time.

Can’t take credit for finding this – nickfong introduced me to their Bright Lights album a while ago. This track in particular has been played just a little over 200 times on my iTunes over the last two years. Haven’t listened to this in a a few months but just dug it out recently and fell in love with it all over again. Highly underrated, The New has one of the best basslines I’ve ever heard on a track.

There is so much texture and emotion in this song. Lyrically it is simple, but musically the plaintive beginning tells a story of love, heartbreak, regret, possibilities which slowly becomes more discordant and at the end the repetitive tonal guitar riffs and drums come together in an outburst of sadness and frustration. Lately I have been feeling a lot like this. And Paul Bank’s voice is just sublime, comparable to the beautiful haunting sadness that Radiohead master so well.

The rest of the album is pretty stellar. Plenty of mad bass, relentless drumming, stunning tonal shifts and more of those amazing vocals. Have come to appreciate the drumming so much more since I started picking up drums. Am also in love with Untitled, Obstacle 1, Obstacle 2, PDA, Leif Erikson, NYC and the rest of the album are always on repeat when I put it on. Also, Paul Banks has released a solo album earlier this year under the name Julian Plenti called Julian Plenti Is…Skyscraper which sounds a lot like Interpol. I’m just so in love with his voice!

Anyway. These are the lyrics:

I wish I could live free.
I hope it’s not beyond me.
Settling down it takes time.
One day we’ll live together,
and life will be better.
I have it here yeah in my mind.
Baby, you know someday you’ll slow grow.

And baby, my heart’s been breaking.

I gave a lot to you.
I take a lot from you too.
You slave a lot for me.
Guess you could say I gave you my edge.

But I can’t pretend I need to defend some part of me from you.
I know I’ve spent some time all lying.
I can’t pretend I don’t need to defend some part of me from you.
I know I’ve spent some time all lying.

You’re looking alright tonight.
I think we should go.
You’re looking alright tonight.
I think we should go.

Tagged as: guitar, heartbreak, interpol, Music related