Yesterday we were virtually in Sweden, checking out the new track from Noija. Well today we leap over the Baltic Sea to Latvia, taking time with a new single from SEVER. The band have had a quiet 2020 so far, but have recently released “My Dream, My Agony”, and also hinted at an album to come; This Should Have Been A Better Place. The band includes Leonīds Korenevskis (vocals), Pavel Trebukhin (guitar), Iļja Peškovs (bass), Stanislavs Kobelevs (guitar), and Jevģēnijs Bratuščenkovs (drums).
With considerable more groove to its rhythm than I remember in previous singles we’ve covered (“Static Scream” and “Paper Planes”), “My Dream, My Agony” draws attention from the start. The line “I wish I was strong enough” is a haunting hook that persists through the song, foreshadowing the thematic story of feeling weak due to habits of addiction. I can only assume that the title reflects the highs and the consequential lows of that experience.
Eerie and looping, the lyrics and distorted vocals of “My Dream, My Agony” reflect a skewed grasp of reality. A driving pace keeps life moving on while the discomfort persists. No matter what is done, there doesn’t seem to be a way out of the loop of their addiction and it’s hard to make sense of it all. I’m drawn to the lyrical idea that “My Dream, My Agony” shares of ‘borrowing happiness from oneself’, and understand it as the choice of pleasure results in eventual pain.
“The vicious cycle we don’t want to step out
Will make us hit the bottom again
And hit the button again”
The full-bodied song is a pleasure to be with, courtesy of that returning groove-laden riff and the ethereal sense of hope that accompanies the desire to feel better. Most impactful though is a crash to rock bottom, painted by a hefty breakdown with darkened frustration. It’s a point of recognition of needing to take personal responsibility for their life.
Another standout moment is the bridge with its admissions of being lost and feeling like an outcast. Presented in hues of red and with imagery that’s turned upside down to reflect the confused state of mind, “My Dream, My Agony” is another impressive track from SEVER. While there’s no conclusion to be found, the end seems to have everything come full circle to where we began; where we traverse through another chorus-call for strength before the groove-laden riff fades out.
Watch “My Dream, My Agony” via YouTube below, and follow the band via Facebook.
