NEW SOUNDS: The Slow Readers Club – You Opened Up My Heart
The Slow Readers Club – Bult A Tower is available on iTunes.
by Walter Price
The histories of early Depeche Mode, Bronski Beat, and Joy Division are hallowed grounds in the electronic music mythos. And over the decades many have tried to capture the fabled je ne sais quoi those artists laid out. With varying degrees of success. And, in my opinion, none capture the atmospheres better than bands like Dangermaker and The Slow Readers Club.
One could argue that the best song is a song that is relatable and easily understood. Manchester’s The Slow Readers Club (Aaron Starkie, Kurtis Starkie, James Ryan, David Whitworth) are unmistakably brilliant musicians with a keen sense for coherent lyric writing. Take their single “You Opened Up My Heart” from their recently released Built A Tower album. An anxiety-filled lament about what was, or could have been.
Sure, there is a prerequisite heaviness, it is a song of yearning and all. But what strikes me more is one of this track’s other notable successes. And that is that the mysteries in the track are left up to the listener. Yes, the story is a straightforward one but the interpretations can vary based on personal experiences. And that is a trick that few songwriters can master. And it is a factor that often creates a classic pop song.
Another day has just begun
Many hours I waste in wonder
Waiting for the time to come
When I’m extraordinary
So if you’re in the mental market for something new that takes you back to the heydays of darker synthpop and something you’ll undoubtedly internalize, The Slow Readers Club will satisfy your pangs.
THE SLOW READERS CLUB
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