‘Pompeii’ is the epic new single from London based four piece Bastille. Premiering on Huw Stephens’ BBC Radio 1 show in early January it received great responses, with Popjustice naming it their BIG SONG. 2013 is looking to be a poignant year for Bastille, with debut album Bad Blood out on March 4th you can expect great things from a band that started with such humble beginnings. Check out the fantastically creepy video below.
‘Pompeii’ is the first formal single from Bad Blood although many of their past singles will appear on the album. From the opening ‘Eh-Oh’s through to the closing ones this single has it all. Backing vocals provided by the amazing To Kill A King truly enhance the previously only-heard-live single. For me this is the real clincher that has transferred it into the realms of anthemic. This perfected, mastered copy of this huge single really shows off the potential it always had. Dan Smith’s vocals and beautifull story telling holds no flaws (yes, pun intended). The tale he tells is one of two lovers, frozen in time, caught in the ash that engulfed the Roman city. As Dan says “It’s a moment of reflection and introspection, but they’re trapped in time so it’s a moment that will go on for eternity.”
The lyrics are what shines through on this single. In fact, it’s what makes Bastille so unique. The stories told by their tracks stand out from the generic lyrics in so much pop music. The “how am I going to be an optimist about this?” line is unbelievably good and I assure you you’ll be involuntarily singing it in no time. Overall a fantastic song and one that is sure to earn Bastille the credit they deserve.
9/10
‘Pompeii’ is out on 24th February 2012.
