oh jesus where do i start.... i guess i'll go chronologically. "mantle" existed out of a weird chord progression i had developed during the summer 2019 sometime. the chords in it are super weird and initially they used to cause my fingers great pain trying to play, but nowadays since i've done it quite a few times i think i'm alright. anywho, fast forward a few months and i have a guitar lesson with the lovely bill hall who shows me some nice chords and a simple melody. i loved these so much that during the lesson i asked him if i could steal them from him. he said sure. so i rearranged the chords (tranquilizer) and put the melody in there (the middle section) and just kind of realized that the mantle chord progression fit in there quite nicely.
there's a riff in the middle section that was meant for a completely different song in a completely different time signature, but it was too perfect of an opportunity so i lifted it from there and that's what you hear at around 4:50. maybe i'll still make that other song. it was a pretty nice idea. again the lyrics don't really mean much, except for the last verse of mantle which was indirectly written for the guys that are also in the band with me. but don't tell them!
there are like 800000000000 different little facts about this song i could go on and on about, like the clarinet solo, or how quickly it came together, or the ending glitch solo, but this is getting a bit long. if you're curious about stuff just ask me, i'll probably answer.
ok... i've wore out my welcome.
-ben
this being a 10 minute song, i always enjoy playing it. there are so many sections to this song, and because of that, it's always exciting and refreshing to play and listen to. playing guitar when we play this song live is always a joy because i can feel the energy this song gives off.
-matt
tranquilizer was maybe my favorite song to do a clarinet part on just because of how creatively it came together. i was singing a melody, figured it out on clarinet, played it, and then we added effects and reversed it and it ended up making it on the final cut of the song. i also especially enjoyed the middle instrumental part, because when we first played the full 10 minute version, i just read the menu of the shop we were playing at during the instrumental over the mic. i tried really hard to give it a nice poignant end right before the riff but it didn't always work out how i intended.
-bryce
lyrics
Don't laugh if you've heard this one before
I'm just about at my wit's end
Love hurts but it doesn't hurt as much
As the wishing it was here
As the wishing it was near
You can't let me down
I'm already falling
Seems as though you try
I fall faster still
Oh
Don't laugh if you've heard this one before
I'm feeling a need to get away
Oh my god I can't talk if I'm not thinking
I just stop the wasting time
I just stop me wasting time
You can't count me out
I'm fine on my own
Seems as though you try
I break off you still
Oh
Oh
Oh
What would you do if I jumped off the roof right now
What would you do if I fell off the cliff right now
Would you jump
Would you scream
Would you cry
Would you bleed
Would you want my remains in a box
On your mantle
On your mantle
In your mental
On your wall
What would you want if I were to give you right now
Think of anything everything that you possibly could right now
Please don't leave me
What should I feel
I can't handle it
Even when it's unreal
I would still think about you when you're lost and wasting time
credits
from Totally, Completely,
released January 31, 2020
ben coates - vocals, guitars, bass, drums, synths, lyrics
matthew ryan - vocals, guitars
bryce snodgrass - clarinet, effects
bill hall - chord enlightenment
The debut LP from Chicago's Lightleak is taut, carefully composed indie rock that doesn't lose any urgency to its intricate arrangements. Bandcamp New & Notable Nov 23, 2021
Polish trio Melisa combine elements of noise rock, grindcore, mathcore, and sludge with lyrics that balance between poetic and political. Bandcamp New & Notable Jun 21, 2022
LA-via-Bombay artist Sun Kin creates cosmic ambient soundscapes inspired by the majesty of the beaked whale on this latest EP. Bandcamp New & Notable Apr 12, 2022
