American Football - ‘Bad Moons’
One of Midwest emo's best and brightest pioneers is back with a cinematic new single to usher in a long-awaited new album.
Longstanding greats and Midwest emo innovators American Football have returned for their first original album since LP3 in 2019, and it goes without question that they have shown up to yet again make us all cry in tune to the most angelic and mesmerising tones over its 8-and-a-half-minute journey. ‘Bad Moons’ is everything that makes this band what they are, a gorgeous and atmospheric backing that is gently danced through by the spine-tingling hammer on riffs that have not only become signature to them but the very genre they had a hand in building. This journey begins in dulcet vocals and clean tones, stretching its first act over 4 minutes and scraping every ounce of emotion from the listener as the notes echo around your head. This build-up is worth the payoff as the bridge leads this track into a whirlwind of gentle aggression, upping the ante and sticking a bit of overdrive over those classic riffs. The backing effects and guitar tones have this dense feeling that leaves an otherwise simple and elegant chorus feeling crowded and heavy, this song feels as though bits been ripped straight from the grasp of a film, its elegance and constant ebbing and flowing almost creates a sequence of images in the listeners minds that slowly blend into the past as the picking slows and the riff eventually fades back into nothing.
‘Bad Moons’ is a stellar example of what this band can create, and after decades of influencing this genre that so many of us care so passionately about its very refreshing to see that they have this same love and adoration for the music they make. There feels as though there is a true sense of storytelling and craftsmanship behind each record that American Football have put out, with LP1, you could almost feel the band identifying their sound and finding their feet on the fly, this nuance and room for error is what makes that record so charming and why it is so often revisited by so many fans. LP2 and LP3 each had their own respective feels also, the former had a lot of tenacity and life to it, coming from a place of confidence with their sound and finally feeling like they knew where they belonged, even though it was 17 years later it felt as though mere months had passed in the meantime making this album feel triumphant, the latter carried a similar edge, only more refined and well versed in its voicings, this wisdom shows very evidently and leads us right into this next project, that I for one cannot wait for.
Having seen this band live, I feel I have connected with them more than ever, something about being in a room hearing these songs ring out note after note with flawless execution. is something truly special, and if that performance is anything to go by, these new songs will translate perfectly into the live format and will give us more to really sink our teeth into. This is more than just a song; it’s an experience, one that is almost cinematic, so don’t waste any time, turn the lights off, grab your headphones, and let it take you somewhere else. No, that was not a rip-off of the Vue Cinemas thing. Grow up.
Words by Josh Pook
