Everyone Says Hi - 'Communication'
A light and breezy tune, Communication immediately springs into life aided by a funky bassline and a layered melodic soundscape. The words “Who wants to live forever, and have a party everyday/A thousand years of pleasure, all at once, is that OK” compliment the sunny vibes, and make for what sounds like a fun, youthful tune. However, there’s a more melancholic subject matter. Communication, the latest single and precursor to Everyone Says Hi’s as-yet unannounced album, is about the frustration and stress of endless pings, doom-scrolling, and the compulsion to be on a device at all times.
If this sounds like a well-polished tune for such a new band, there’s a reason behind that - Everyone Says Hi is headed up by Nick Hodgson, who found fame with fundamental 00s indie band Kaiser Chiefs, and is now an accomplished industry songwriter. The band also comprises Pete Denton of The Kooks, and Ben Gordon of the vastly underrated Dead 60s, amongst others. It’s no wonder then that Communication is veritably bristling with fresh ideas. It’s from a supergroup of talent from several luminaries of the era.
Hodgson’s writing is right on the surface. This isn’t a cryptic prog rock epic, it gives it to you straight. His simple lament in the chorus - “Communication it’s getting me down” - Is all you need to understand what’s going on. Hodgson felt inspired to write Communication while playing guitar, and being constantly distracted by emails and Whatsapp messages. Every time he responded, he got even more messages, and couldn’t focus on what he wanted to do. On Communication, Hodgson implores us to stop nursing our devices and take care of the things that matter.
Dig anywhere within this song, and you’ll find references and connections to rock royalty. The majority of the guitar was written on an axe once owned by Albert Hammond Jr, the legendary Strokes lead player. Hodgson has observed that years of tight grooves being channelled through this iconic white strat made it feel like he could just draw hit songs out of it with ease. That’s what Communication feels like - Easy. It’s head-noddingly pleasant, a radio-ready piece with tons of energy and a message we can all relate to.
There’s a wonderfully ironic line repeated at the end “A miracle has happened, but nobody noticed” - It’s an observation on how we have this lush and plentiful electronic array at our fingertips, all the information and entertainment you could possibly need to last a lifetime, but we’re all just sat in the corner watching the world burn through a tiny screen. Communication is a brief but sweet and super-fun respite from that dark world, an exhortation to call up the guys, get back in the practice room, and crank up that amp.
Words by Adam Davidson
