GAZA’S HORRORS ARE HIGHLIGHTED IN VANDERLYE’S LATEST SINGLE ‘BLACKOUT SKY’

SINGLE REVIEW | VANDERLYE – BLACKOUT SKY by Morgan Hermiston

We’ve all witnessed the live-streamed horrors of wars and genocides around the world, particularly those in Gaza. It’s unfortunately all too easy to become desensitised to these, with statistics and numbers making more headlines than individual stories. One of Glasgow’s most vital upcoming acts, Vanderlye, are changing this. Inspired by articles written by frontline personnel, like paramedics, frontman Sean McGarvey describes the band’s latest single, ‘Blackout Sky‘ as “a reflection on lives silenced by displacement and a call for empathy“.

The quintet’s individual talents are all incredibly incorporated throughout. One of Vanderlye’s many strengths is being intentional in both their melodies and lyricism. Both are equally as vivid as the other, without any elements being overpowering. In comparison to previous releases, like ‘Romantic Anarchy‘, ‘Blackout Sky‘ has a more minimalistic, yet still intrinsically intricate, melody that allows the track’s sentiments to heard with such clarity.

Vanderlye, alongside McGarvey, consists of Jamie Morrison, Jonathan Meagher, Calum Steel, and Becky Clarke. The latter also provides beautiful vocals, adding layers and further elevation to the song.

‘Blackout Sky‘ is a personification of an everyday struggle for many Palestinians, including those still suffering the consequences of the Israeli occupation and the ongoing famine and genocidal attitudes. Vanderlye shed light on one specific story, one of a boy losing his brother and mother. Not using names or depicting individual identifying features makes the story unfortunately applicable to a wide range of families. It details the heartbreaking and urgent seeking of “warmth and shelter from the blackout sky“.

Towards the end, questions are asked, “how much bloodshed is enough?” and “are we just another number?“. These aren’t rhetorical questions, and aren’t very difficult to answer. ‘Blackout Sky‘ is the beginning of a new chapter for Vanderlye that unleashes uncomfortable truths, and calls into question our morality as a society, enquiring as to how fellow humans can fall into being “just another number“.

This new release from Vanderlye is the beginning of a new era, one that builds immense anticipation for forthcoming second EP “Dystopia Calling“. If ‘Blackout Sky‘ is anything to go by, this will be an insightful and politically poignant production. You can catch Vanderlye performing ‘Blackout Sky‘ as well as their other mesmerising melodies at this year’s Tenement Trail on 11th October.