Atmospheric intentions meet with the basement-rock edge of a simpler era, as The Bloodstreams craft their heavily rhythmic and conceptually unsettling single The Knife.
Instantly appealing for its stomp of a progression and the unexpected meandering keys in the distance, The Knife soon goes on to weave in a passionate classic punk and rock-style vocal, almost spoken-word on occasion, and ultimately delves into personal turmoil in a refreshingly honest manner.
Featuring a handful of sections as opposed to the simple verse-chorus structure, The Knife feels all at once like a rock and roll classic from the time of The Doors, and like a contemporary ode to organic escapism and the almighty grip of anxiety. In truth, the song explores the topic of sleep paralysis and isolation in the modern world. It’s an oddly specific yet lyrically vague piece, the result of which is that it’s brilliantly easy to attach your own interpretations.
‘I go to bed with a knife in my hand screaming “everything is alright”.’
Metaphors a-plenty and a strong fusion of lyrical intention and performative passion and authenticity, The Knife appears to get more and more engaging with each revisit – with each new line or expression that reaches out. The closing moments in particular are explosively artistic in terms of attempting to represent the true horror of this concept.
Really well done, a focused and interesting take, and a much welcomed return to the roots of rock. I look forward to hearing more.
Download or stream The Knife here. Check out The Bloodstreams on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram.
