A Colorful Apology on Making the Lives of Others a “Living Hell”

“Living Hell,” a single released yesterday and created by Gold Spectacles, was written to hold the main theme of self-sabotage. It notably plays with the idea of getting out of tough situations first, before it all goes belly up.

Favoring a DIY approach, London-based Gold Spectacles are most known for their baroque-pop music. Drawing on an eclectic range of influences, from Paul Simon, Phoenix and Lykke Li, their sonic palette toes the line between electronic and organic. Now, with two tracks being selected as BBC Radio One’s “Track of the Week,” and their current roster of artists having played a host of festivals this summer, 2022 has been a breakout year for the pair as writers/producers.

“Living Hell” is a duet, dressed in the layers of different heartfelt apologies, and chilled out with a beautiful showcase of spangly guitars. Starting off and sticking to lower tones, the instrumentals bring audiences right into a groovy atmosphere, setting the mood for the track and giving a taste of what excellence is next to be expected. Backed by an equally moody keyboard, the softly spoken lyrics tell of inconveniencing others, specifically highlighting the anxiety of knowing that you are a potential burden to those close in life. You know you are self-destructing, and have no way of dealing with the problem yourself, which naturally causes the issue to spread in your immediate social circles.

Of course, it’s not all doom and gloom, as predicting the worst comes easy when things are looking too good to be true. Many people forget that those closest to you are readily available to lend a helping hand when it’s needed most, and this is also notably touched on in the track. Overall, to delve into a topic like this in such a beautifully inventive manner is certainly no easy task, and here Gold Spectacles have proven their skill of translating anxious worries into a thoughtful work of art.

Gold Spectacles is also found on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.