Which way is up and which is down and where is my head? Anticline deliver an airless version of anxiety with newest track “Headspinning Bias”. The fresh single works nicely to bridge the gap a little for those of us who miss seeing the Ballarat band in action in sweaty bandrooms.
Pummeling in waves of heaviness, the tunnel vision of reality in “Headspinning Bias” vibes like an attempt to cope. Groove-tinged instrumental forces try to find their way through in a state where it’s hard to make sense of anything. Over and over, listeners are shoved by the internal chaos that Anticline have painted with distaste.
“An open mic exorcism
For the rush and stumble”
There’s only momentary ease during “Headspinning Bias” where an easy riff is a calm before the storm. Amping up into a searing interlude, where vocal roars and instrumental weight of crushing heaviness squeezes the anxiety into something more confrontational than internally stuck. Guitars impress with their flares and jabs along the way. As the song comes to a close, lines are spat with distaste and wild punches fly with whatever scraps of energy remain, bringing the song home before final collapse.
Intrigued by the title as well as the lyrics of the track, but unsure what is specifically being said in “Headspinning Bias”, I hit Anticline up and asked if they could share the inspiration behind the track. Don shared that the process of writing lyrics for Anticline comes from sporadic moments of captured ideas, which are then distilled and edited to suit the theme and rhythm of the song they’re creating.
The outcome is what Anticline describe as “mood pieces”, with Don sharing that the intention is “to use words and themes to paint vague ideas in the listener’s mind. It’s like colour on canvas forming abstract shapes, punctuated with ultra-direct and aggressive moments to keep the vibe going, tie things together and (hopefully) give people something to yell back at us.” There’s more to be said on this, perhaps in the future?
Seeming to step it up with each release, the collective clearly take their music seriously. Along with its Martin Wood music video, the new tune hits hard and is a great reminder of how unrelenting Anticline are in the flesh. Watch “Headspinning Bias” below via YouTube or via your favourite streaming places.
[Anticline image courtesy of Liam Davidson @ Greyscale Records Showcase, Corner Hotel]
