"Apocalypse"-Cigarettes After Sex
If musicians were able to record their audio in black and white, I think it would sound something like this. Slow, smokey vocals lazily delivered over an echo-drenched background, an ethereal ambiance that we could dub "pop-noir."
I've been listening to this song for quite a while now and despite my occasional distance, it continued to haunt me -- calling me back -- until I decided to take action and firmly acknowledge its existance. So, here I am.
Although the Cigarettes After Sex track "Apocalypse" has been around for a few months, it was its recent addition to a handful of alternative rock station's playlists that brought this sensual, dark, brooding and very unique track to my attention.
"Apocalypse" is warm, delicate, hypnotic, sultry, meloncholic intoxication... part Mazzy Star, part Leonard Cohen.
It's a song that resonates in such a profound and poetic way about coming to terms with a past relationship. Although your heart is still broken, you've moved on, while also realizing you cannot totally let go. It evolks a good sadness that I can’t quite explain. I guess you could say there are still occasional tears, but they fall over a smile.
Songwriter Greg Gonzalez of Cigarettes After Sex explained to Christina Cacouris of Noisey his lyrics are personal. "I just dig in to whatever vivid memory I have and then extract a song from it." He went deeper; "It’s about your own feelings, just taking a good memory and crystalizing it, saying, ‘Things might have ended badly, but in this photograph, they were great'."
And then there are those five words...
"Your lips. My lips. Apocalypse."
I love the duality of that line. Is it a referrence to relationship heaven or hell? I guess it all depends on where your heart is at the moment you hear it.
Regardless, "Apocalypse" is a very powerful piece of mood-shaping music. Just remember to listen with the volume up high and the lights down low.
With apologies to Lori Lieberman, this is what I call a "Killing me softly with his song" song.
