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I’m not saying that “Heaven Forgive Me,” my first encounter with Federale, sounds like a lot of my favourite bits of my formative record collection, but there is a lot in there that reminds me of a time and a place, both of which are respectively a long time ago and a long way away. There is undoubtedly something in the shaded sonics that Federale gathers around them, something in the resonating twang of the guitars, that blend of music created between pop and a hard place, both infectious and anthemic and that ornate, majestic vibe which hangs in the air above the song, that blend of groove and grandeur, muscle and melody, power and poignancy.
Okay, it appears that I am saying that “Heaven Forgive Me” sounds like my formative record collection. But that is fine. The music was great then; a return to such exacting sonic standards, such intensity and imaginative creativity is long overdue.
“Heaven Forgive Me” seems to echo the dark anthemics of The Mission, The Cure’s mercurial blend of otherness and accessibility, and Echo and the Bunnymen’s shimmering, psychedelic air of detachment. All of which I was rather taken with back in the day—and still am, to be honest.
Given the cyclical nature of music tastes, I see such influences, inspirations, and infusions as less a nod to the past and more a signifier of what may be about to come over the horizon. So, if this is a signpost to future music trends, I, for one, can’t wait for such an age to be ushered back in.
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