By now, it’s pretty likely that most people have at least heard of the band Bastille. They hit mainstream radio success with their song “Pompeii” that came out in 2013. You know the one, “Eh eh oh, eh oh, Eh eh oh, eh oh”. This is a band for me that I often pass over when they come on shuffle, but then when I decide to stay on one of their songs, I’m reminded of their greatness and wonder why I ever started skipping them in the first place. Bastille is a great band that you do not want to miss out on, so to get you started here are 7 amazing songs from across both albums that I think you will love!
These Streets from All This Bad Blood (2013)
One of my favorite things about this band is their lyrics. Dan Smith, whether he ever wanted to be or not, is an expert lyricist with a great cinematic mind for creating scenes out of words. In this song, he describes the city as going from theirs to, all of a sudden, hers. Although it’s Dan’s story that he’s telling as he’s singing, the songs are very accessible and it’s easy to find yourself in the middle of the cinematic scenes the band has created.
Favorite line: “And passing through I think I see you/In the shapes of other women”
Of The Night from All This Bad Blood (2013)
Just one of a few covers Bastille has done, you’d never know it wasn’t an original work. When they decide to cover a song, which can be any song from TLC’s “No Scrubs” to Cutting Crew’s “(I Just) Died In Your Arms”, they keep the integrity of the original song while completely integrating it into their own unique style.
Favorite line: Rhythm is a dancer/It’s a soul’s companion
Send Them Off! from Wild World (2016)
One of the many charms of Bastille is their use of cultural references and film quotes to further create a world inside each song. This track describes a Shakespearean jealousy, featuring references to Desdemona from Othello and old Italian film that the beginning quote had to be recreated from.
Lead singer Dan Smith has some of my favorite vocals of the band’s career on this song with these two lines. And they’re even better live!
Favorite Line: “Soak the ropes with your holy water/Tie me down as you read out the words”
Warmth from Wild World (2016)
When Dan introduced this song when I saw them live in Pittsburgh recently, he said this is the song that the album got it’s name from and it’s about “how f**king f**ked up the world is at the moment”. But in true Bastille fashion, they’ve taken a very depressing subject and they’ve made it something beautiful.
Favorite Line: “Hold me in this/ Wild Wild World”
Lethargy from Wild World (2016)
Besides being a catchy dance track, this song features a little Easter egg that I was very excited to discover. At the beginning of the second verse, Dan Smith sings “There’s an Englishman in space these days/Floating in awe and wonder”. Many speculated that the line either refers to David Bowie, the glam rock visionary, or Tim Peake, a British astronaut who made headlines last year. At the iTunes Festival in 2016, Smith said the song references a pop star that died that year, which leads me to believe it is in fact referencing Bowie, who died in January of 2016.
Favorite Line: “Get up, get up/Pressure, pressure”
Two Evils from Wild World (2016)
The only stripped down track on the second LP is hauntingly beautiful. It’s dark, at times full of regret but at other times, a bit threatening. Like many of the best Bastille songs, this track has layers and it’s always fun to figure out what it means to you. As a band, they specifically leave songs open to interpretation so that allows for some really great daydreaming as you imagine what the movie of the song would look like.
Favorite Line: “There are two ways to skin tonight, let’s see whose road gets there faster/ I am hiding in plain sight, if you’re not careful, you will lose her”
The Anchor from Wild World (2016)
The perfect track to end on a light note, which was the band’s intent in making it the final song on the album. An unapologetic love song, the emotions expressed are so strong and the music behind the words is joyful. A light at the end of the dark tunnel of Wild World.
Favorite Line: “You are the light that is blinding me, you’re the anchor that I tied to my brain/Cause when it feels like I’m lost at sea, you’re the song I sing again and again”