Single Review: Future Colours - Stopclocks

          Future Colours

I'm not going to go on about it much, in fact, we'll gloss over it. There's been a large amount of football since I last posted and England seemed to have done quite well in those matches. GOOOAAAAALLLL. In fact, they're in a final for the first time in 55 years - you may have heard. 

All of this was achieved whilst embracing the works of Marx and Engels and posing a threat to the fabric of society with their symbolic knee gestures. I'm really surprised anyone from the British establishment have been going to the matches - they do realise their heads are going to be paraded on spikes down Wembley way in the newly-named Sterlingrad, IF the result goes the right way don't they? I'm not going to go on about it. SHHIIINNNPAAADDS. 

The team have been scoring lots of goals and getting rather fortunate penalties, whilst the ever-sporting fans have been booing National Anthems, laughing at crying kids on big screens and shining laser pens into an opposition Goalkeeper's face - but I'm not going to go on about it. YOOOUUU BEEEAUUUUTY.

Somewhere amongst all this jingoistic nonsense, reality dawns from time to time. There's still this unpleasant Pandemic going on and some other countries aren't even in the bleedin' final! There's also 'Freedom Day' to think about on July 19th, ironically around the same time draconian laws are brought in to potentially curb the right to protest. GETTT INNN THEERRREE.

I could go on, but I suggested I wouldn't. Ahhh yes..this is a music blog; forgot about that. So apologies to our next band and their heritage if any football-based offence has been caused. Originally from the West Coast of Scotland and now based in Glasgow, Indie-Rock duo Future Colours have returned with their new single 'Clockworks'. The band have been working on expanding the sonic elements of their sound after airplay from BBC Radio Scotland and BBC Introducing. 'Clockworks' is the band's second single, following on from their solid debut "You Don't Have To Be Alone'. 

Fading in with a backwards-tracked guitar effect that creates a sense of anticipation about where this might go; pounding drums enter and ramp up the urgency. Even early on, you could hear this soundtracking a nature documentary narrated by David Attenborough; sweeping footage over the African plains as Antelope run for their lives from ravanous hunters..

A big guitar sound enters, it's clean and crisp and it's enough to herald the inevitable goose bumps from head to toe - it has a feel of Scottish indie rock royalty, like The Twilight Sad. The vocals are strong, despite them being hidden slightly with effects - a slight annoyance for me personally on this type of track, but it's subtle thankfully and doesn't spoil the ambiance that has been painstakingly created thus far.

The lyrics suggest a sense of confusion and frustration that points to insomnia:

Thoughts come in waves and echoes flood my brain.

It's like I can't sleep anymore.

The chorus soars, but also has the same pop sensibilities that has served the likes of Biffy Clyro so well over the years. There's still time for the track to wind down slowly; stripping back the elements that made the mix sound so vast in it's peak. It's not a new trick by any stretch of the imagination, but it does give it a raw and delicate conclusion as all that is left is vocal and guitar. 

Whilst at times, Future Colours do teeter on the verge of being too angsty and overindulgent with 'Stopclocks', you do get the impression there is more concepts and depth to come in future singles. They may not have the lyrical complexity of some of the other bands I compared them to, but they have the ideas and the talent to push this project to a very special place - and that's a promising place to start.

You can follow Future Colours on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. You can stream 'Stopclocks'  on Spotify and buy from Apple Music.