By Jimmy Sears
In 2013, after Bastille spread throughout radio like wildfire at an impact comparable to the eruption that destroyed Pompeii centuries ago, listeners have waited with baited breath for Bastille to release their second studio album. Three years later, Bastille finally comes at us again with “Wild World,” which was released on September 9. Bastille’s first album, “Bad Blood,” enriched my ears and I was worried that they made such an amazing album and there was no way they could create an album comparable to “Bad Blood.” Fortunately, Bastille took my doubts and ground it into dust. “Wild World” lives up to its title and shakes the world with a wild mixture of tracks that rivals “Bad Blood.”
“Good Grief” is about sentimentality. Dan Smith describes the subject as being in his thoughts that Smith could “picture so easily,” as if whoever it concerns never left, yet Smith still misses that person. A British lady opens the track, saying “what would you maniacs like to do first?” Then drums kick the beat off, with a fast, but not too fast tempo with claps and guitar notes. Despite the upbeat sound, Bastille still communicates that sentimentality by quieting down and picking back up to adjust the pacing as needed.
“The Currents” opens with thick synths followed by violins and finger snaps. This track is about one’s consequences. Smith talks about the “pool of mistakes” that “you create,” and how we sink into them. This points out that one’s mistake can affect those around him or her, whether directly or indirectly. This may reference someone whose decisions can, in fact, have a huge impact on our lives, such as world leaders. A man eventually says “when anybody preaches disunity, tries to pit one of us against the other … you know that person seeks to rob us of our freedom and destroy our very lives.” This line is taken from a Cold War propaganda cartoon, “Make Mine Freedom,” that suggests we should continue to support capitalism despite its flaws. This issue with capitalism is, in part, stemmed from the dissatisfaction of America’s politicians because of their decisions. So “The Currents” could be a political commentary.
Once more, Bastille created a tremendous album that features a great repertoire of quality music. iTunes has the regular edition, which features 14 tracks, while the “Complete Edition” features 19 tracks. For a few extra bucks, I think the “Complete Edition” is well worth it.
5 out of 5 owls.
