Going from a group of music-loving friends to full band isn’t just a battle, it’s a long war of attrition. The Long War’s hard work and dedication over the long haul led them to their latest single, “Robot Heart”.
And like any long haul, patterns emerge. “Robot Heart” explores the patterns in love we wish we could reprogram. Singer-songwriter Jarrett Lee depicts the habits of repetition with graphic, yet incredibly fun lyrics like “The crows tear apart my robot heart.” Bolstered by Chad Gilmour’s guitar leads and chordal support, the melodies bounce from beautiful moment to moment.
At 1:34, the languid bridge creeps in. Teased with smoother vocals and a lightening of the sonic density, it still surprises and delights. As Neil Williamson’s steady drums carry the tune through, Jonny Battistuzzi’s basslines shine, shouldering the emotional weight of longing for change.
But Jess Lee’s keys in a call and response (and occasional interjection) return the tone to the original frustration where the song began. As the guitars and drums send the song off, it directly echoes the opening. From start to finish, we’re still in a loop. While the mechanical reprogramming failed, there’s still hope that something will change eventually. After all, it’s a long war to affect change.
Stream “Robot Heart” below.
Ben is an advertising Madman who spends his days with words and music. When he’s not writing for his supper, he’s eating it at some of NYC’s most interesting restaurants.
