Oil and water, they famously don’t mix. Pineapple on pizza is a big no-no. Milk and alcohol…that never ends well. Some would say that pop and rock are opposites, too. But, as we all know, opposites attract, and “Fill The Blanks” is proof that, in the right pair of hands, these two genres can be skillfully juxtaposed to make great music. Hey Look Listen is exactly the right pair of hands for such a task.
Although “Fill The Blanks” starts in a very spacious, alt-pop place, it isn’t long before these digital delights and electronic energies are joined by raw and fuzzy guitars—the sort that not only fuelled the garage rock sound but, if used correctly, could probably level a whole row of garages themselve!
And so what you have here is the best of both worlds: a song built on the slick lines and infectious qualities of a pop-aware sound but which uses these structures to wield and weave the most incendiary six-string sounds.
Beyond these delicious sonics, there is a poignant message to be found. This is a song about the pitfalls of shallow thinking and the dangers of taking things at face value, a timely reminder in a world where social media assumptions and short-span-of-attention, headline-reading activists seem to be the norm. Of course, such messages are always most applicable when leveled at our own personal lives and more intimate relationships.
Whenever someone tells you that pop is pop and rock is rock, and never the twain shall meet, play them “Fill The Blanks” and play it loud enough that it knocks them to the ground so that it is a lesson that they will not forget in a hurry.
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