2017 : the gift that keeps on giving, the June edition.

ALBUMS

Despite its exterior, Hey Violet's From the Outside is not your typical bubblegum pop. Don't look at the artwork and expect it to sound like the soundtrack to your average, mid-2000s teenage rom-com. From the Outside is a take on the mind and concerns of a young woman trying to figure out the world around her, trying to figure out relationships, love, sex, what she wants out of it all, and maybe what she doesn't want either. All these topics are dealt with in a very open, honest way, and tracks like Guys My Age (a slick, definitely modern pop tune on how unsatisfying dating guys your own age can be) could almost sound as if they were part of a conversation in between friends, with no filter whatsoever. From the Outside is a modern pop album with 80s influences (Brand New Moves, Where Have You Been (All My Night)), cleverly used EDM sounds (All We Ever Wanted) and tunes (Break My Heart, Hoodie, Unholy) that somehow can't help but reminding me of The Veronicas. The record's standout tracks are definitely Like Lovers Do, the theatrical and bittersweet story of a relationship that's doomed from the start and the lyrical equivalent of knowing you're going to crash, but accelerating anyway, and Fuqboi, an extremely catchy anthem for a generation of women who are trying to understand men who keep treating them like dirt. In a world where traditional pop culture feeds us some outdated ideals on relationships without taking into account the fact that the world is changing at break neck speed, Hey Violet's From the Outside offers a refreshing (sadly not always pleasing) take on relationships and love, and closing with a track like the über-catchy This Is Me Breaking Up With You and its shouted "Too many movies, I've had enough" sums this up quite well. Women want more than fairytales and settling down, and these are our anthems.


If you're looking for this summer's feel-good album, don't look any further than Broadside's second full-length, Paradise. The title-track and opener is a true summer anthem, and the perfect embodiment of "start as you mean to go on" - you got it, Paradise is filled to the brim with thirty-six minutes of pure feel-good summer anthems. All through the album, the key is positivity. Hidden Colors (one of the best singles of 2017) is all about empowering women, Paradise encourages you to chase your dreams and Disconnect wants you to live your life the way you want to instead of comparing yourself to someone whose life you're seeing filtered to fit Internet popularity standards. Paradise is unmistakeably a pop-punk record - just listen to Miss Imperius (a catchy tune about being controlled by someone who pinpoints your weaknesses, and yes, this is a Harry Potter reference in the title) or marvel at the drumming in Who Cares?, and you'll notice it. What needs noticing, though, is that Broadside are a pop-punk band who are never afraid of putting genuine pop elements in their sound. Every chorus is bigger than the last, and frontman Oliver Baxxter has one of the most versatile voices in the game, easily going from screams (in Laps Around a Picture Frame) to perfect RnB vibes. Puzzle Pieces, the album's first single, perfectly showcases the album's vibes and the fact that Broadside are a socially conscious and aware band who aren't afraid to stray from the typical pop-punk themes to discuss the hard truths and strive for a more tolerant and equal world. Paradise is a feel good album through and through, filled with lovely intentions, a social conscience and wonderfully satisfying pop choruses, perfect for my terrible dance moves.


When I was seventeen, I had a crippingly embarrassing indie phase. My music taste revolved around French indie-rock bands, The Beatles, The Kooks, early Arctic Monkeys material and whatever Peter Doherty would do, and the rest I deemed "mainsteam" and, therefore, not worth my time. Ten years down the line, I still listen to some of those artists and bands, but my indie phase is dead and buried, and for me to find interest and excitement in an indie-rock band is getting rarer by the day. That was, of course, until Royal Blood came along. I was dragged to see them at Download 2014, then saw them again at Reading 2014, and then proceeded to listen to their debut album on repeat. My tiny mind was blown, and, for once, an indie-rock band had grabbed my attention enough for me to want to see them live, and for me to be eager to listen to their sophomore record. How Did We Get So Dark doesn't hit you like a brick at full speed the way the self-titled album does, but every song satisfyingly gets under your skin, seeps in. There is a clear continuity with the band's previous music, How Did We Get So Dark is a logical next step, one with more nuances and less urgency - which is a wonderful thing when it brings songs such as Where Are You Now and its complicated structure, or Hole in Your Heart, a personal favourite. There is still the Royal Blood touch everywhere, and a song like I Only Lie When I Love You is the pure, unmistakeable essence of what this band is all about. With How Did We Get So Dark, Royal Blood have managed, once again, to produce a stunning, perfect indie-rock record without relying on typical, classic indie music tropes. There is no obvious lead song like there usually is in indie-rock albums, every song could be the next single and get daytime radio plays. It's all killer, no filler - which might just be the reason why it got to number one in the charts, why they played the set of a lifetime at Glastonbury last weekend, and why they're only going to get bigger, and bigger. 

On the 2nd of June, All Time Low have come back with their eighth (already!) studio full-length, Last Young Renegade. When the band premiered the first single, Dirty Laundry, frontman Alex Gaskarth said they were out to "explore new things", and it doesn't take a long time to the listener to realise that Last Young Renegade isn't a traditional, pop-punk orientated All Time Low album. The sound all through the record has more pop than punk, and tracks like Good Times feature almost electronic vibes. Having worked with pop duo Tegan & Sara (on Ground Control, one of my favourite songs out of the record) also sends a message towards whatever it is you were expecting from the Baltimore four-piece : times are changing. Still, Last Young Renegade is undeniably an All Time Low record, their touch and their unique songwriting is instantly recognisable. Far from me the idea of comparing it to any of their previous work, but some parts and some songs (namely the opener, Last Young Renegade, and Good Times) reminded me of the Nothing Personal era. I feel the 2010 record is the one closest in sound and vibe to Last Young Renegade as it was their most sonically diverse... until Last Young Renegade came in and stole the crown, that is. Lyrically, Last Young Renegade is about changing, saying goodbye to the past, while still retaining the band's trademark positivity and optimism. By change, maybe All Time Low didn't mean a complete U-turn, maybe it was just all about saying goodbye to your demons and to what haunts you. Last Young Renegade is this month's pleasant surprise and one of All Time Low's best records. The change of sound they were aiming at is gracefully done and this new direction shows maturity on their part as much as it showcases their undeniable talent. It's a refined, slick album that experiments left, right and centre (notably with Gaskarth's voice, which has never sounded better), and I like that better than if they had tried to rehash a tired pop-punk formula. I feel like Last Young Renegade has a better chance of making a mark than some of All Time Low's previous records. It is a strange thing to say about a band who has released an album less than a month ago, but All Time Low have sparked excitement in me again, and I want to know where this album is going to take them next, which direction they are going to head for.

THE PLAYLIST

This month's playlist includes : 

MY NEW FAVOURITE ARTIST

As I said in March's post, the greatest thing about going to multiple shows of the same tour is that you have a shot at making the support bands your new favourite bands. Before following the Set It Off/With Confidence co-headliner tour, I knew of the Americans in Too Close To Touch, had listened to them, even. Seeing them live turned out to be a game changer and I have found in them another post-hardcore band with brilliant vocals - aren't I a sucker for that. The less great thing about following a tour is that you find yourself missing everything about it when you come back home, and I am now sadly sat at home, eagerly waiting for Too Close To Touch's return to the old continent. In the meantime, you should all treat your ears. 

The official start of festival season, the long awaited return of vaguely nice weather and a whole lot of summer infused music. No doubt, it's gonna be May. (Insert everyone's favourite N*Sync meme)

ALBUMS & EPs

THE big album this month is very obviously and very unsurprisingly Paramore's fifth full length, After Laughter. Before we start this journey, I suggest you forget everything you thought you knew about the Nashville trio - they don't sound a thing like they used to. The new and improved Paramore has eighties influences all over the place - the intro to Hard Times is reminiscent to Wham!'s Club Tropicana (sue me) and there are hints of Cyndi Lauper in sound and, sometimes, in the way frontwoman extraordinaire Hayley Williams uses her voice. After Laughter is a million miles away from the pop-punk/alt-rock sound they were known for, if you make an exception for No Friend, which is extremely different from the rest of the album, sort of works as an outro for Idle Worship and confuses me a lot with all the Paramore references. (I have seen a lot of theories about what the songs are about and not one on No Friend, which leaves me even more puzzled). When you hear the first three songs, you feel like you're in a pop dream, because Hard Times into Rose-Colored Boy and its cheerleader chants into Told You So IS a pop dream, and you will think this is an upbeat album. And it is an upbeat album until you listen to the lyrics closely. The pop dream is a deceitful one. After Laughter is an extremely honest album and largely deals with Hayley Williams' depression and the tough times she went through, and sooner rather than later, you realise that the upbeat and colourful exterior is a mask to disguise deeper, darker lyrics. 

After Laughter is, overall, a very good album. The transition from alt-rock to a poppier sound Paramore had started with their self-titled record is now complete, and it's been done in such a graceful, natural way that it feels right to hear the band who once made Riot! sound the way they do in After Laughter. The songwriting is absolutely fantastic, it's relatable without being cliché, it's imaginative and vibrant, and some songs (namely Caught in the Middle) hit home a little bit too hard to my liking. 

Still, despite all its qualities and despite the fact I could see myself dancing around to its songs, I feel like After Laughter is going to be a grower. It's too new, too recent for it to have a place in my life yet, it's too fresh for me to tell the world if I love it or not. I think I can just appreciate its objective qualities, for now. (I think that's the trouble when you love a band as much as I have loved Paramore at one point).


Linkin Park's frontman Chester Bennington has made the news recently as he told pretty much the entire planet to "move the fuck on" from the band's début album Hybrid Theory. What the Americans are offering us to make the move forward is their seventh full length, One More Light. I'm okay with them not releasing another nu-metal album - I have understood that the year wasn't 2001 anymore, and if they had released Hybrid Theory seven times in a row, I would probably be bored out of my skull. Yet, I'm still not entirely on board with the new album. Some of it is really good - I liked the first single, Heavy, as I felt it showcased Bennington's unique voice really nicely. Battle Symphony is a beautiful song and almost brought me to tears. I don't mind the rapping at all, I've always liked in in their music. But I can't help feeling the final result is blander than it should be. It could be such a good album, but it falls short in too many places. (Don't get me started on the chipmunk type voices here and there, I don't want them to be trendy anymore)

I am aware that Courage My Love's Synesthesia has been released in February, but I only stumbled upon that band recently, and its been released in Europe in May, so we'll pretend it's totally acceptable that I am three months late. If you're into a nice little mix of electro-pop and pop-rock, with beautiful vocals (courtesy of twin sisters Mercedes and Phoenix Arn-Horn) today is your lucky day - Courage My Love excel at that. With Synesthesia, you get forty minutes of extremely catchy songs, songs that clearly have the potential to make this band bigger than it is at the moment. Some tracks, such as Love Hurts, Need Someone or The Year I Disappeared, even have something anthemic about them. The lyrics deal with toxic relationships and the influence of mental health issues in dealing with other people, they're very honest without being cliché, and they're written in a way that can appeal to just about everyone. There is something quite liberating and exhilarating about that band's music. More than being catchy and almost anthemic, their songs make you feel like the painful times and the confusion are lifting off.


I have only started listening to Tigers Jaw this year (I know, it was long overdue), and I have one very, very important question : where has this band been my whole life? I have just listened to spin for the very first time, and it is a beautiful treasure, the loveliest indie-rock record, tinted with emo here and there, especially when the lyrics start dealing with the perception of oneself and how to deal with pain. The first word that came to mind when opener Follows kicked in was dreamy - everything in this album is a dream. The mixture between Ben Walsh's and Brianna Collins' vocals is beautiful and adds to the loveliness spin oozes, as both voices are delicate and delightful. The stand out track of the record, for me, is June - it's just gorgeous, positive and oh so satisfyingly catchy. If my life was a movie, I would like spin to be the soundtrack to my moments of chosen solitude - and considering how much I love and value them, I think you'd understand that it is a compliment of the highest form.


Two years after the beautiful Skydancer, In Hearts Wake are back with the, well, at least equally as beautiful Ark. The album is opened by a self-titled intro full of seagulls and wave sounds, and it's the calm before the storm - because Ark is a stunning metalcore storm waiting to happen. There's always been something about the metalcore scene in Australia (Parkway Drive, The Amity Affliction, Northlane ringing any bells to you) and, thanks to their fourth full-length, In Hearts Wake are showing, if this was necessary, that they are a force to be reckoned with. Ark is wonderful because it's not a heavy record just for the sake of being heavy. Its heaviness has a purpose and it's meant to be hard-hitting ; I don't think it's a coincidence that the heaviest songs on the record are the most politically charged ones (Passage, Warcry). As always, the Australian outfit are here to remind the world we need to take care of this planet we're lucky enough to call home, thanks to their lyrics, obviously, but also thanks to the promoting campaign that surrounded the lyrics of the album. Indeed, instead of doing regular record store signings, the band has organised meet ups in the form of cleaning beaches all around Australia. (I'm honestly so up for more bands doing that in the future, let's all save the world and listen to metalcore together). While listening to Ark and while appreciating the environmental message behind many of the songs, I had a feeling all the mentions of the sea, the ocean, the coast and the Earth were a metaphor for something less literal and more personal. The stunning Frequency felt like it was about a relationship that doesn't quite work out, when Flow, a personal favourite, seems to be an uplifting track with motivational lyrics ("Move into the flow, let it all go, shed the dead weight of your shadow, be the light that you've always known"). If you've always been on board with In Hearts Wake's work, you won't be disappointed by Ark - it is a beautiful work of art, a politically engaged, yet positive record, it has great melodies and Jake Taylor's and Kyle Erich's vocals are out of this world. The band has just announced a European tour for October and I, for one, can't wait to hear how this album sounds on a stage. (Is it too early to request Flow or?)


After making a name for themselves through relentless touring (notably with the likes of Jimmy Eat World and You Me At Six), The Amazons are releasing their self-titled début album. Let me tell you, that record is indie-rock banger after indie-rock banger finished off with Palace as the heartbreaking cherry on the cake. My question is, now, could The Amazons be a breath of fresh air in a UK rock scene who is begging for it? Could they blow up the way bands like Kings of Leon or The Kooks did back in the day? Could they get themselves that legendary status? I say why the hell not - I mean, their album is already a top ten ordeal, and they're booked on every single festival you can think of. Seems plausible. Music wise, they definitely have everything in their power to get there. Their record is a collection of incredible indie-rock riffs (don't dare telling me Black Magic's intro isn't one of the best pop-rock tracks we've heard in a while), and their sound comfortably navigates from straight up rock to heavier things (In My Mind), and even has emo influences dotted here and there (Junk Food Forever). I'm now eager to see what the Amazons' next move is going to be, and as long as it includes anything as excellent as this record, I'll be along for the ride.

Mallory Knox have released the Unwired EP, a selection of songs extracted from their excellent third album Wired, but played acoustically. There's not much I can say apart from the fact that I really, really do love a bit of acoustic, and Mallory Knox do it really well.


PS : Check out Gnarwolves. You know you want to.

MY FAVOURITE ARTIST 

My favourite new artist this month is New Jersey's Best Ex, formerly known as Candy Hearts. Earlier this month, the extremely talented Mariel Loveland has announced the name change and released a new track called Girlfriend, an extremely catchy pop song that has managed to stay stuck in my head for hours on end, and that was tailor made for Loveland's delicate voice. I adore Girlfriend and am now eagerly waiting for new Best Ex material, I am delighted to know that Candy Hearts songs will still be played live, I am hoping for European shows of some sort and I think I've come to the conclusion that as long as Mariel Loveland keeps making music, everything will be alright.
(Listen to Girlfriend here)

THE PLAYLIST

• This month, we found out Chris Cornell, singer for Soundgarden and Audioslave, had passed away aged 52, and I just wanted to add an Audioslave song to this, one of my favourite songs in the world.
• Mallory Knox have covered Coldplay's classic song Yellow as part of the Torch Songs campaign, in support of the mental health charity CALM. What they have to say about it is also really cool (not to mention that the cover is just lovely). Since we're on the subject of Mallory Knox, they have also released a music video for their new single California.
• And yet another song for State Champs - Hurry Up and Wait has mad The Finer Things vibes and is part of the deluxe edition of their sophomore record Around the World and Back. Speaking of deluxe editions, the new and improved version of blink-182's California is there, and new track Wildfire is there to channel the band's Enema of the State era.
• I think we can all safely say that this month, Don Broco have become kings of creating buzz around a new project. Their offer to watch bass player Tom Doyle's wedding in Las Vegas turned out to be a gory music video for new single Pretty. Have Don Broco ever released a bad song? Absolutely never. Catch me in the pit at Slam Dunk and Alexandra Palace.
• Only a tiny month left before we get to hear Broadside's new record, Paradise. They have recently released two new songs off it : one called Hidden Colors and the album's title track, Paradise, and they might just be this month's feel good tracks. I love the fact that they aren't afraid of putting actual pop elements in their pop-punk sound, and both songs are yet another proof of this. Both tracks also come with super colourful and joyous music videos complete with frontman Oliver Baxxter's killer dance moves - what's there not to love.
• Lots of things happening in the Milk Teeth camp! The band has signed to Roadrunner Records, is going on tour in July with Wallflower and Employed to Serve, and will be releasing a new EP, Be Nice, on the 28th of July. Owning Your Okayness is the first single from it, and it's excellent (like everything else Milk Teeth ever do)
• PVRIS ARE BACK! The American trio has announced their new album, All We Know of Heaven, All We Need of Hell, out on August 4th, and there's a single called Heaven to keep us waiting. Great stuff? Great stuff.
• Tonight Alive's Jenna McDougall features on Australian rapper Illy's new single Oh My, and what can I say? I might just be on board with everything this woman does.
• At this point in time, no one really knows what the future holds for American pop band The Summer Set, which makes me deeply unhappy. Frontman Brian Dales, though, has released his first solo song this month. It's called Young for the Summer and it really, really reminds me of Bryan Adams' classic Summer of '69.
• This month was an endless game of Spot the Cha in live music videos, and I'm happy to say I made it in two of them ! I look very fascinated by Simon Neil in Biffy Clyro's Friends and Enemies (2:54), and I look utterly confused in Empire of Silence by While She Sleeps (1:58). Other live moments that do not feature my face include Take on the World by You Me At Six, recorded at their Alexandra Palace headliner and Come and Get It by I Prevail. If you need your heart broken (who doesn't), The Maine are here for you with this version of Raining in Paris, recorded during the Lovely Little Lonely tour.
• In other music videos you might have missed : Kevin Devine releases a powerful music video for the excellent Daydrunk, Greywind retrace their first year as a band in Safe Haven, Plum Island shows you life on the road with Waterparks and Courage My Love get emotional in Need Someone. Finally, because there is no such thing as too much The Winter Passing, have a look at the lovely video for Significance, maybe. 
• Neck Deep have announced a third record for August 18th. Entitled The Peace and the Panic, it includes absolute bangers Where Do We Go When We Go and Happy Judgement Day (which includes a key change, my dudes, A KEY CHANGE), and will feature Architects' Sam Carter. Someone hold me.

Tuesday and Wednesday marked my first endeavours on British soil in 2017, and I couldn't have picked a better band than With Confidence and better cities than Leeds and Manchester to do it. I'm currently in London, waiting for my coach home, and I'd trade places with anyone in Glasgow for another night with my new favourite Australian band.

Both nights, the evening is opened by the only English band on the line-up, Milestones. I had discovered them at Mildtfest, last summer, and had been impressed by their catchy songs and all the emo that was lying around in there. I can now officially say I am in there for the long haul. Both days, their set has been solid and an easy explanation as to why they are on every single tour you can think of until the summer (they are embarking on Mayday Parade's 10 year anniversary tour for A Lesson in Romantics at the end of this, and then, they'll be traipsing around Europe alongside Simple Plan). They have a fair amount of fans in the crowd (especially in Leeds, overall one of the best crowds I've shared a gig with) and singalongs are easily heard. If I were you, I wouldn't sleep on Milestones. At all. That band is going to blow up.

Coming straight from Ontario, Canada is Safe To Say. They are different from everyone else on the line up - they're not a pop punk band (as they will explain in Manchester, they made friends with With Confidence during Warped Tour, and the rest is history), but still, there's a whole lot of talent lying around in there. How do I start to explain Safe To Say? They're a little bit emo, a little bit alt rock, a little bit "shove them on every line up in Brighton and they'll blow the roof off the venue" - in the best possible way, a little bit Canadian enough to thank the crowd fifty times in the space of fifteen minutes, but most of all, a little bit very good. They're also a band I'm definitely going to keep listening to in the future. They were different, but I liked it. A lot.

There's not really a main support on the tour, but if you had to pick one, it would be California pop punks Broadside, mostly because, in sound, they're closer to the headliners than the other two, and also because they've received the strongest reaction out of the three.
Both nights, most people already knew who they were and, in Manchester, someone was already donning Broadside merch before the show. Their sunny pop punk tunes are infectious and catchier than the catchiest song you can think of right now, and my favourite thing about their music is that they are a pop punk band with true, genuine pop elements - I mean, it's called POP punk for a reason. If you're looking for a pop punk band whose frontman has a true pop voice (and you probably should), then, Broadside are for you. I don't think I was expecting the storm they've been both nights and I am coming back home a fan, wishing they were on the mainland Europe leg of the tour. If you're not convinced yet, I should probably tell you there's one hell of a key change in closer Coffee Talk, and you really, really cannot say no to a band that reminds you key changes are the single most satisfying thing in the world.

As Australian pop punk outfit With Confidence walk on stage both nights, I realise one thing -  it's crazy how a band can have the biggest impact on your life in the smallest amount of time. I only started listening to them at Christmas, because I was sad and you can't not have a smile on your face at some point if you watch the music video for Voldemort ten times in a row, and two months later, here I was, spending fourteen hours on a bus to see them play in a different country. Already.

About ten seconds into opener Voldemort, I knew I'd literally go anywhere in the world for this lot, and I wish it was an exaggeration.

These two shows have been everything I wanted them to be and so, so much more. I'd heard lots of people saying With Confidence were excellent live, and I can only confirm this - they were, indeed, brilliant. They have that quality I adore that made the live renditions of their songs sound like the studio recording, just a little more emotional at times (which is never a problem for yours truly the queen of emo) - Keys, mostly sang by guitarist Inigo Del Carmen, absolutely floored me both nights. I don't want to make generalisations, but it's often tough finding pop punk bands that sound as good live as they do on record, and I think we have a winner here. Sound-wise, With Con offered both Leeds and Manchester a perfect performance.
(I should also point out that frontman Jayden Seeley got sick at the beginning of the tour, and if it wasn't for them reminding us on stage, I wouldn't even have noticed. That's how good they sounded)

One thing I wasn't expecting, though, was how rowdy the crowd would be in Leeds (and, to an extent, in Manchester too). As the crowds are getting younger and emigrate to pop punk from pop lands, you don't expect crowdsurfers going at it the whole time, and you don't expect finding yourself in a circle pit during London Lights, but here you are. Quite simply put, the crowd in Leeds was just as perfect as the band. In Manchester, though, the gig was upgraded to the bigger part of Sound Control two hours before the show, and the much bigger room and barrier didn't help crowdsurfers - but still didn't stop them doing their thing. If I wasn't expecting rowdy crowds, I sure as hell wasn't expecting some dude trying to punch a guy first song in and in front of the band. People.





If you're going to a show in Leeds, one thing to expect is some chanting, and if the crowd hasn't shouted "Yorkshire, Yorkshire" at least once, you should probably ask for a refund. The best thing about, roughly, a hundred people chanting "u wot u wot Leeds" was the look of sheer confusion on Jayden Seeley's face as he admitted that "the only word (I) understood was Leeds". Australian people being confronted to typically English slang and also, to a whole crowd of people singing Wonderwall at random because, well, you're in Manchester is nothing short of amazing. Blame it on the years I spent, myself, learning English slang and being confused, blame it on the fact that this doesn't really exist in the French language, blame it on me studying English and linguistics and maybe blame it on the boogie, but man, I probably enjoyed it more than I should have.

The truth is, I have loved every second of both sets. The fact that my legs barely function as we speak and that I walked about forty minutes under the rain, then snow last night, and the punching idiot haven't ruined anything for me, and, I don't want to make this emotional or soppy, but nothing can take those two hours away from me. I have so many hightlights - the perfect singalongs are one. I'm not just a sucker for a good key change, I am one for a good singalong, too. The live rendition of Long Night, this time not featuring a piano but a guitar instead, was just gorgeous and hit me (and many more people) right in the feels. These shows felt like rediscovering songs I have been listening to on repeat for the past two months - I'd never realise I would cry at Dinner Bell, Gravity and Waterfall were as powerful as ever, having a boogie to oldies Tonight and Godzilla was blissful and... Can you believe a song makes you ten times happier live than it does on record? That's also what happened. 

Overall, there's no fault anywhere on these shows. I have finished writing this review and I am still sat in the food court of Victoria Coach Station, still wishing I was in Glasgow, Newcastle or Nottingham for another night of this. They're playing Paris in two weeks, and it feels like decades away.