Screaming Lights - GMN Single Review

Review of Screaming Lights' single 'GMN' released through Anti.

Barely a minute into 'GMN' and already the suspicions are piling up like last night's washing-up.

Squiggly early 90s rave keyboards a la Pendulum: CHECK.
Big, blustering guitar-led intro 45 seconds in: CHECK.
Radio friendly hooks without any semblance of a song ever materialising: CHECK.
Zane Lowe endorsement: CHECK.
Major label investment and several high profile support slots before releasing a record: CHECK.

Aside from the obvious regions of doubt listed above, the main problem here is that Screaming Lights don't seem to have any real direction or vision as to what they're trying to achieve. Instead, both 'GMN' and 'Glow' reek of product placement, probably at the hands of Warner Brothers' A&R department looking at current saleable facets and trends and simply advising their "clients" that throwing a bit of everything in the mix should be enough to please everyone.

Well, sorry to disappoint you folks, as the one main ingredient (apart from originality, of course) either of the tracks lack is substance. Back to the drawing board it is then, the lot of you.

3/10

Dom Gourlay