BAT AND BALL

London duo Bat And Ball are back with ‘Stops My Mouth’, with song-writing that cleverly leaves the full meaning up for your own interpretation.

Late in 2013 we were given our first taste of their sweet sounding polka-dot pop music. The title track ‘We Prefer It In The Dark’ was a echoing bass filled sing-a long, with the chorus line “what’s in your lies” having dramatic hints of Arcade Fire, whilst the guitar flickered in through-out much like London Grammar. It made a lot of people very eager for more.

Our new slice of Bat And Ball has a more prominent guitar, which jags along with soft but pointy strums. Abi Sinclair’s vocal on the track sit somewhere between the raw honesty of The XX’s Romy Madley Croft and the understated charm of Metric’s Emily Haines. This is accompanied by a bouncing bassline, similar to their previous work, with Chris Sinclair’s backing vocals squeezing in where needed to give a stripped back feel to the track.

The most vital part of the song though are the lyrics. They may be sung beautifully but they are heart crushing and try to collide with the uplifting music. It makes the listener have to decide what the meaning of the song truly is.

The truth is, the meaning is never revealed. It’s left up to our interpretation. If Abi has had her heart broken, which the verses seem to suggest, then what does “Your Name Stops My Mouth, It’s Dangerous” mean? It could mean that when she hears the name of her former love, then she becomes stoic and falls into a bad memory, stopping her from speaking or reacting to the real world. We’ve all been depressed about a past relationship before, but its incredible songwriting to suggest that these haunting memories of past loves can stop us from even controlling our own bodies.

If this is only the second release from this sibling duo, then we are oozing with excitement to see what they can conjure up next. Bat And Ball is songwriting of the highest order, their music causing effect and challenging us upon every listen.

Words by Scott Hastie

Tipped by Dave Maul from Black & White Music