Basciville - “Nothing Surprises (Me Anymore)”
Photo by Anca Tintea
Irish brothers Cillian and Lorcan Byrne, aka Basciville, bridge the gap between grit and grace with the soulful alt rock track, “Nothing Surprises (Me Anymore).”
This is a deeply satisfying track that is reminiscent of REM, Counting Crows, Radiohead, and looking further back, Lynyrd Skynyrd. It feels instantly recognisable, speaking to certain parts of your soul that you haven’t explored in a while. Almost like coming across a lost relic from the 1990s or that feeling when a song is played at the end of your favourite film.
The first half of the song is locked in a lush mid-tempo shuffle, filled with mellow chiming guitars and reflective beauty. The music is confident, slow-burning, analog, and sophisticated, inviting you in with familiarity and honesty.
The latter stages the 90s tinged coolness begins to thaw. The steady shuffle gives way to a swelling tide of Radiohead-like instrumentation that fades into a quiet reflection. This section is sublimely powerful and spiritual, as if listening to a hymn or a late-night sermon. Th initial restraint is gone and all you are left with is a cinematic landscape of raw, unfiltered emotion.
The vocal is so rich in character that it will stop you in your tracks. Hints of Joe Cocker are definitely present. It has that same gritty baritone salt of the earth quality as if it has been cured in tobacco and stadium dust. The whole delivery feels as if melodies have been conjured from summer sunlight and bent into powerful soul stirring sounds.
On the track, Basciville elaborate that it “is about recognising the things we have control over in our day to day lives. There’s no surprise in how much harder it gets to merely survive, in how alone we are left by the state, but there’s beauty in the everyday. It speaks to our sheer will to find joy in what little we are given.”
Musically irresistible, “Nothing Surprises (Me Anymore)” is a song that doesn’t just enter your ears, but, instead, settles into your bones. The song is taken from Basciville’s forthcoming album, Love In The Time Of The State, due for release on March 13th via Faction Records. Connect with Basciville: Spotify | Soundcloud | Youtube | Instagram | Facebook
Tour Dates
March 20 –Wexford Arts Centre, Wexford
April 2 – Whelan’s, Dublin
April 10 – Coughlan’s, Cork
April 11 – Levis’, Ballydehob