Pick four songs from any band and you can tell a lot about their sound. This summer, I’m featuring #RockBlocks, four picks from bands across various genres. They might be wildly different from each other, but what binds them together is the fact that they’re all a part of my life soundtrack.
I first discovered Muse on a car ride. My in-laws asked me if I heard the band Muse and then proceeded to play what I think might’ve been Black Holes and Revelations. I wasn’t hooked immediately, but I was intrigued enough because I had heard nothing like them before. Muse is a genre masher. They’re not metal, but they use heavy distortion and emphatic beats as well as anyone out there. They’re not classical, but classical structures and styles from Chopin to Rachmaninov are imprinted all over their music. And they’re definitely not punk, but many of their songs are anti-establishment at their core. “Stockholm Syndrome” is one of them.
“Stockholm Syndrome” lifts you up and then shoves you down. Every single note and word seemingly unleashes a fit. You might just be casually listening to the music when you feel the slightest bit of insanity taking over. Interestingly, the song personifies the abuser in a Stockholm Syndrome scenario, not the victim. Like the abuser, the music feels like it’s trying to sway you. Convince you. “Stockholm Syndrome” wants you to keep on listening and never leave its side.
“And we'll love, and we'll hate and we'll die. All to no avail.”