Review: Bastille – ‘Pompeii’

Occasionally songs are inspired by real life events. Large-scale, disastrous ones that have an impact on a whole country or even the world. Take Linkin Park’s ‘The Little Things You Give Away’ based on the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina or even older, Billy Joel’s ‘We Didn’t Start the Fire’ written about the events that brewed in 1940′s America. It’s not often that a new-ish band pen a track orientated around a such event. Bastille’s ‘Pompeii’ is indeed inspired by the Mount Vesuvius eruption in 79 AD. The historic event has been dealt with by bands in the past, but recently has not been used as the entire basis of a song.

Dan Smith’s dynamic voice streams words about rubble, dust settling and grey clouds bringing darkness, painting a lyrical backdrop along with the thumping drums, blipping synths and hearty “eeh eeh oohs”. “And the walls kept tumbling in the city that we love” is a particually good line, sung over a sudden switch in the beat, accelerating the track’s goodness. It’s when it gets to this point and you know the song is not going to be a let down.

Bastille have been exciting to follow ever since they came on the scene back in 2011 with singles ‘Flaws’ and ‘Laura Palmer’. The London band have released two mixtapes including stirring covers of Lana Del Rey’s ‘Blue Jeans’ and a rather brillant mash up of Snap!’s ‘Rhythm is a Dancer’ and Corona’s ‘The Rhythm of the Night’. They’ve also acquired a strong support base along the way, without even a debut album out yet. ‘Bad Blood’ is finally being released on 4th March.

‘Pompeii’ is out 24th February.