Mamaleek - Vida Blue
The Flenser
After the enormous setback in losing a dear friend and bandmate, Mamaleek muster up enough of the courageous spirit to move their feet forwards. Loss leaves you at a crossroads - you can stand still and let it dictate your life, or you can trust fate and face rebirth at every turn. 'This musical recording is a reflection on loss and its acceptance.'
How do you continue? How does it play tricks on the body and soul? Time takes us all. It's deeper than words can describe. The spoken word can, and will, only ever scratch the surface. We get the scent of a deeper meaning, but never find the source. The trail runs dry. Heavy thoughts weigh on the brain. They tip the scales out of favour but fine-tune a different understanding. Freedom within confinement. I can't do it, therefore I don't think of it. Freedom from freedom. Endless possibilities prevent a life lived.
As offset as offset gets. As upset as upset gets. Something remains misaligned deep down. Out of focus, maybe even out of sight. The ship has set sail. What it is won't make itself known. A pesky bugger. Feeding on misfortune. A hound for heartbreak. Slow and worm-y basslines flop like treacle. Men growl at the moon. I've said this about Mamaleek before and I'll say it again - they would be perfect for a Twin Peaks-y gig; a batch of fringe visuals and stories. Some of the best song titles of 2024 exist within Vida Blue; my favourite being the closing track, 'Hidden Exit on a Greyhound'. It gets me thinking. Are there these hidden passages that we just can't see? Is there really only one way in and one way out? Are we one sidestep away from escaping this thing altogether?
Hidden Exit on a Greyhound is very reminiscent of Godspeed You! Black Emperor - the waning guitars hark back to F#A#. It's that melancholic space where everything turns to grey and life flees from grip and fades from view. A fluorescent light flickers somewhere in the distance.
As of August 11th, 2024 Vida Blue is categorised as 'Hard Rock' on Apple Music.
