Southern California post-hardcore quartet Movements explore pain, regret, and fear with their passionate, poignant, and punch-packing new single, “Fail You.”
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Stream: “Fail You” – Movements
Nightmares can be strikingly (and hauntingly) realistic.
Eventually, though, you wake up, exhale a sigh of relief, and return to the world you know and understand.
When the lines between real life and nightmare blur, and reality isn’t all too different from the products of your subconscious mind, “waking up” doesn’t feel like an option. No matter how much you want to, no matter how hard you try, you can’t escape a prison that’s mental, indefinitely bound by invisible chains, bars, and walls.
If you’re at all familiar with modern-day emo circles, or more specifically the post-hardcore/Midwest emo scene, chances are you know who Movements are. For the Orange County band, these chains, bars, and walls are made of fear — fear of failure, of loss, of the past, and of the future. Sleeker and cleaner, but just as reflective as their earlier works, the four-piece’s May 25th single, “Fail You,” finds them reaching into the depths of their souls and revealing their barest selves through evocative songwriting and cathartic angst. Maturing and modernizing, not just personally, but also artistically, Movements’ latest shows just why they remain such long-standing staples of their genre.
It starts simply, nice and slow
But the current grows so quickly
Skipping stones I didn’t throw
You’re sinking beneath me
I try my best to pull you in
I’m kicking and screaming, you slip
And I wake up in a sweat
To see you’re next to me
Still quietly in bed
Similar to the lyrics, “Fail You” starts “simply, nice and slow / But the current grows so quickly.” Suspenseful and moody, the track opens with percussive guitar riffs and frontman Patrick Miranda’s soft but commanding vocal croons. It’s not long before the song goes from bleak and brooding to intense and cinematic, as subdued instruments and vocals burst into a fever pitch characterized by impassioned and brutal emotion. Pounding riffage and fiery lyricism work hand-in-hand to form a cacophony of chaos and catharsis.
The third single off their forthcoming record, RUCKUS!, “Fail You” shows Movements embracing and enhancing their alt-punk roots with thrilling instrumentals, soaring melodies, and introspective songwriting. Set for release August 18, 2023, via Fearless Records, RUCKUS! marks an exciting venture into indie rock territory and broadens the band’s sonic texture, citing influences such as Gorillaz and The Strokes. But, with “Fail You” leaning heavier both thematically and sonically, Movements reassure us that they’re far from abandoning what they do best.
I know I’ll fail you again
I’ve got this weight on my chest
Just dying to breathe
I know I’ll fail you again
I feel that hand at my neck
And it’s only a dream
But I know I’ll fail you again
The themes of the song are made clear in the chorus: shame, failure, fear, and the suffocating weight of your past. Brimming with raw emotion and heart-rending vulnerability, momentum heightens as instruments explode and Miranda goes from slow crooning to powerful belting. It’s everything that makes Movements, Movements: infectious and energetic, candid and captivating, punchy and profound.
“‘Fail You’ has all the inner workings of a classic Movements track wrapped up in a shiny new package and served with a newer, more modern Movements sound,” Miranda explains. “It’s a song about the fear of letting someone down and losing someone you love — reliving the mistakes over and over again and being haunted by all of your wrongdoings. Fans of both the new and old sounds will find something to love with this one.”
The worst is it happens twice every time
How perfect
I’m terrified, ever violent sequence
Repeating before my eyes
This can’t be right
I’m speechless and weakened
And when it ends I wake up in a sweat
Movements paint vivid lyrical portraits of sleepless nights, detailing the effects of distorted, anxiety-driven thought patterns — never moving from past mistakes, premeditating failure, and falling victim to self-doubt and sabotage, on personal and interpersonal bases. Feeling “speechless and weakened,” isolated and powerless, the fear of losing a lover becomes paralyzing and polarizing. Rasped screams swirl over an epic guitar and thrashing percussions, pricing “Fail You” not only a masterfully written post-hardcore track, but masterfully produced as well.
Intensely personal, but still universally relatable, “Fail You” soars high and low, dwelling in nightmare, reality, and anthemic euphoria.
I’m afraid to sleep at night
‘Cause every time I close my eyes I’m fighting
So get me out, get me out
Cut me open, bleed me dry
I’d rather that than have to see you crying
Get me out, just get me out
Of all these dreams you die in
With RUCKUS! on the horizon, this single serves a tantalizing taste of what Movements have prepared for this August, astounding and thrilling with their bold melodies and earnest themes. Never failing to keep listeners on their toes, as of writing this, the band has released their latest single, “Tightrope” on June 16th.
The latter half of 2023 looks promising and exciting for the Southern California quartet; as they gear up to hit the road for a North American tour this fall, we’ll be rewarded even further with epic, powerful, and mosh pit-inducing live performances. Catch Movements on their headlining tour for RUCKUS! here, and rest assured, they won’t “Fail You.”
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Stream: “Fail You” – Movements
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© Anthony Purcella
© Anthony Purcella
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