Shadow Sides’ new single from its forthcoming album Dissolve the Frame “no going home” is stylistically divergent from the brooding darkwave of “heroine with meaning.” The sparkling guitar work is more reminiscent of the expansive, ethereal sounds of 80s post-punk band The Chameleons. Chords hang and dissolve over an understated, driving bass line and drums, the riffs shimmer and burn with an urgency in moments reflecting the lyrics that hint at an adulthood coming to terms with childhood traumas. Lines like “Buried in youth” after “Uncovering half truths” points to the kind of information that sometimes hits you out of the blue and rattles your psyche for a moment because you’ve had to dissociate at those earlier points in your life to emotionally survive and the memories had stayed hidden and all but forgotten. Though the song is upbeat it is an expression of the kind of energy you have to muster to not be sunk with finally coming to deal with dark moments of your personal history that inspire thoughts like “Nothing stays the same, there’s no going home” because it’s abundantly clear why that isn’t even a desirable option. Without softening the impact of experiences like the song outlines that many people can find relatable it kindly expresses the sentiments indirectly, resonating with the emotional truth over relating graphic details, and pairs it with the kind of uplifting melancholia that The Chameleons and bands it influenced like Kitchens of Distinction and Slowdive manifested so well in their own foundational work to the kind of song Shadow Sides offers here. Listen to “no going home” on Spotify and follow Shadow Sides at the links below.
Queen City Sounds and Art 
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