Mumble Tide - “The Rails”
Image courtesy of Breakfast Records
From Bristol, UK, indie folk duo Gina Leonard and Ryan Rogers, aka Mumble Tide, arrive on our blog upon their release of “The Rails.”
Although the track is a bit more upbeat than our usual, dark and gritty brand of indie, the raw, stripped-back nature of the arrangement immediately won us over as listeners. “The Rails” is propelled forward by an energetic rhythm, with layers of guitars that line the outer edges of the soundscape. And while it leans a bit closer to indie rock than folk, it will definitely pair well with playlists that span multiple genres.
Where “The Rails” truly excels is with its evocative vocal performance, as Leonard delivers dreamy, emotional lines of lyrics across the top of Rogers’ musical craftsmanship. During the verses, there is almost a Courtney Barnett manner of delivery, but over the refrains, the utilization of a wondrous vocal harmony allows the sound to saturate every last inch of available sonic real estate. In a word, these chorus sections are quite magical and will likely be what cause you to return to this tune, over and over again.
About the track, Leonard offers: “‘The Rails’ is like an angry kiss, or throwing stones at a mirror – it’s about leaning into all the things that hold me back and in the process realising that they’re not as solid as they seem. I tend to hold pretty unrealistic standards for myself and often feel that I let people down – writing ‘The Rails’ gave me a sense of freedom to be imperfect and recognise the potential that still exists if I can learn to give myself another chance.”