Empires rise. Empires fall, and do so often in a blaze of hubris and arrogance. This is worth remembering in today’s political landscape, where self-styled populist leaders are building their own empires. Do they never learn from history? And that is the message that runs through “In Hanging Gardens.”
To grow their own sonic garden, Speaking Is A Gun blends swathes of indie guitars, shimmering and coiled, chiming and spacious to begin with, robust, squalling, and more rock-driven as the song reaches its logical crescendo. Bass lines and backbeats drive things forward, harmonies grow, their sweetness softening any hard edges that may be found, and a poignant tale is told.
Yes, empires fall, but their legacies remain in society—technological leaps, social development, the advancement of civilization, and the like. But perhaps we have forgotten what matters, perhaps we have lost our way, and perhaps those Hanging Gardens hold a simpler answer for mankind.
It’s a clever song, not only creating lush music to carry its tale of warning, but also the sound of a band using its platform to say something poignant about our world, a timeless and timely analogy. A tale that reminds us that we have been here before, but in this modern age, what we do next could not only see empires fall but do so in a way that destroys the only planet that we humans have ever called home. Do we ever learn?
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