Last week, I was truly fucked over. Not going into specifics, but my entire perception of a situation was flipped on its head, and what I had thought was a matter of fact was deemed irrelevant and just downright wrong. I was massively mistaken. While this situation is unique to me, there is an air of universal feeling, and one that has been translated to a song by South Wales indie-rock band French Alps Tiger titled Let Me Down. The track is self-described as “grappling with the gut-wrenching heartache of being well and truly fucked over”.
A departure from the band’s previous, more aggressive sound, Let Me Down has traded in the fast-paced, relentless ramble for a dream-pop and breezy venture. The song is more of a lumbering beast, with long and drawn out drums, pounding the liquid cement of jangling, shimmering guitars, and static bass. The music sets up a wavy texture for the droning and plodding vocals to croon a tale of mimicry and repetition of actions done to ourselves.
Let Me Down demonstrates that French Alps Tiger can change their style up at random, with tantalizing results. This atmospheric and dense piece of dream-pop is a triumph and makes for a pleasant and chill listen, as well an escape from the horrors of last week. And speaking of that – “Now I know you’re a crazy dick, and I’d do just the same thing again”.
