Birmingham-based indie rock band, Crymson, have today dropped their first single of 2021.
The group have been gracing the scene since 2019, when they dropped their demo EP, ‘No sense of Brain’, which gave audiences their first taste of what the band was all about. The EP was most recently followed up with 2020’s single, ‘Midnight Mission’, which showcased the band’s indie rock inspired and instrument-centric sound.
While the band’s previous, slightly heavier material has been likened to the Smiths and Joy Division, the new single, titled ‘Alone Again’, sees the band exhibit a more pop inspired sound. The guitars are melodic and jangly, often echoing elements of Viola Beach and The Orielles while the vocal performance from frontman, Patrick Shannon is reminiscent of Blossoms’ Tom Ogden.
Lyrically, the song treads on fertile thematic ground and features lyrics that lament the indecision one feels towards the end of a relationship, expressing a cognitive dissonance between the fear of loneliness and knowing a break up is the natural conclusion.
Though a clear deviation from the quartet’s preceding releases, the new track features the same notable focus on the band’s instrumentation that is found on several of their other tracks. Instrumental breaks are, in many ways, the focal point here and are particularly prevalent in the latter half of the song.
The focus on instrumentation, while also allowing the band’s musical abilities to be displayed, offers an experimental, idiosyncratic take on the indie-pop genre.
According to the band’s Spotify, they plan to release similar sounding singles in the near future so, if you’re a fan of this new take, you’ll likely be looking forward to the group’s future releases.