In the competitive world of indie pop, Blake Langdale doesn’t have an easy road ahead of him in trying to put his name on the map, but this isn’t to say that his new single “Streets” doesn’t put forth quite the sterling effort. Langdale introduces himself to us in “Streets” via a decadently-arranged, groove-centric pop song that wants to rock as hard as Led Zeppelin but frequently clings to the softness of a Passions or even Heartour, and to me, his melodic moxie makes this song quite difficult to put down once it’s been picked up for the first time.
TWITTER: https://twitter.com/blakelangdale?lang=en
“Everybody knows this is how it goes,” croons a dejected Langdale ahead of the :45 mark in the track, his voice seeming to channel much of the antipathy towards the moment we see in the music video for this all-new single. He isn’t hiding his emotions in either his words nor the tone in which he’s giving them up to us, and while you could make the case that he could have been more subtle in his verse – as to blend in with the minimalist pop types trending well in the United Kingdom – he’s digging his heels into excess and sounding all the more original for it.
The music video for “Streets” is essentially an extension of the song’s emotional sentiments as imagined through literal imagery (as opposed to something intently surreal from the start). Though I don’t find it to be quite as grandiose as its source material is when heard by itself, the video is actually really colorful when reconstructed through the eyes of its protagonist. The tragedy of homelessness feels a little more accessible in this light, and because of Langdale’s approachable attitude, he makes the story here sound so intimate in spots that the happy-go-lucky beat becomes almost painfully – and ironically – cynical.
There’s a genuine balance between the synthetic elements and the hard-hitting percussive part in “Streets” that had me going bonkers the first time I listened to this track, but when breaking it down again I think it’s probably the reason why the moodiness of the lyrics is so persistent right out of the gate. There’s juxtaposition here if you listen closely enough for it, but instead of making contrast a focal point (and a catalyst for his storytelling in general), I actually like that Langdale tucked it into the music as an Easter egg for serious aficionados to uncover.
SOUNDCLOUD: https://soundcloud.com/blake-langdale-1/shegoes
I see a lot of buzz coming in this artist’s direction if he stays on the path he’s taking at the moment, and if you don’t believe me, I think that the music video for “Streets” is going to change your mind this November. Blake Langdale is not the only indie singer/songwriter that has my full attention right now, but for those who I had never come in contact with before the start of this chilly season, he’s one of the few that I would classify as a one in a million-type talent well worth a second listen.
Troy Johnston