Do the bright lights of synths and guitars in Cocoa Future’s latest track hide a darker story?
“KEEP DOING what you’re doing, cos I’ll be fine,” the weakening voice of a broken man calls out. “Keep doing what you’re doing, cos I’ll be fine,” – the sound echoes throughout the air surrounding a desolate tent. Like each exasperated wave of new performer coming out onto the stage, the sounds of electronic synth and casual reclining guitars gradually build up. The stripped back and unpretentious sounds almost force the weary voice of singer Greg Sanderson to confront his internal ramblings, until he finally expels his confusion in one exhausted gasp: “Keep doing what you’re doing, cos I’ll be fine.”
It was the voice behind pop band Cocoa Future‘s first attempt at creating a colourful picture of sound with a reduced pallette of instruments. The Scottish bred singer had only a piano spare to create his relaxed collage, and he was admittedly at the mercy of the keys.
Glowing notes start to trickle in amongst a puddle of light synths and drummer Dave‘s steady beats. Though far from the bursting glow of instruments and rich texture of the Tottenham based band’s 2016 debut E.P. Blue, the sounds throughout Circus seem to contrast the band’s talent for bright synths and catchy hooks with a flare for a deep and despairing story. Much like its namesake, the track seemingly masks a darker lyrical underside with bright lights and sparkling synths to create a poignant story which on the surface appears as an entertaining, relaxed song. And with Brendan Williams (of Dutch Uncles, and GoGo Penguin) behind the production desk, the track’s story of patience and practice becomes perfectly wrapped up in a clean and precise sonic package.
Overall, the track seems to present a contrasting image of a defeated circus performer, contemplating the frivolity of their weakening career, through the polarity of lounging synths, casual guitars, and broken vocals. On first listen it is an effortlessly relaxed track, but with the next seems to peel open to reveal a conflicted narrator in amongst the pleasant and uncomplicated sounds.
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