COSMOPOLIS releases new single “The Distances”

If there’s anything that the global pandemic taught us – it would be the importance of turning digital and making the most out of the internet. This is not only applicable to businesses but for also bands. Moving to a cloud-based environment wherein artists can send music and record on-the-go virtually – might sound strenuous, but surprisingly many bands have already succeeded in that. Although there won’t be enough time to discuss everyone – neither have I done enough research, I’ll be featuring a recent find – Cosmopolis and the brand new track “The Distances”.

Cosmopolis is spread across three countries, with musicians based out of Belgium, UK, and Australia. The band comprises a total of 4 musicians with two of them being multi-instrumentalists. So, having such a talented group, the expectations were pretty high. Also, it was obvious that the band wouldn’t restrict themselves to one particular genre. Art Rock or Alternative Rock would be the best I can label them, but their sound does jump around the places. They are not as radio-friendly as Pop Rock, but still, the vocalising and instrumentation do remind me a lot about mainstream artists like Radiohead and David Bowie.

The interesting thing about this group is that they have everything planned out, really well. Despite starting as an ensemble in 2020, they have already put out three singles. And are already planning to release one single every two months. If that’s not all, they already have plans to tour next year – adhering to the COVID protocols. But, that’s for another day. Today, we will run through their latest single: “The Distances”.

Clocking around 5 minutes, “The Distances” sets a dark tone in the very beginning, which is carried forward by the vocals – courtesy Gavin Kendall. Although it takes a minute for the instrumentation to kick in, the singer has done a brilliant job to have the listeners hooked. Once the instrumentation kicks in, there is a slight variation in the tempo, but it for a split second, as the track jumps back the tempo that it had at the beginning. It would have been great if there was a small window reserved for the guitarist and the drummer to showcase their finesse. Or for the multi-instrumentalists to have their experimental stuff showcased. But, then again, the band would have had a definitive goal before writing the song. The only thing that bothers me, is whether they are writing the tracks on a hurry just to hit a single in two months goal. Even if that’s the case, I’d be pleased. Because imagine the product if the band were to spend more time in writing stuff. I believe that’s when the real experimental stuff is showcased.

Art rock is something that I consider as an underrated genre. Art Against Agony being one of my favourites, I always try to match similar bands with them. I know, comparison of such sorts is meaningless – but it’s human nature! That being said, Cosmopolis will take time to grow in me, but they have a bright future ahead of them. Because the songs were written through virtual collaboration, amidst the hard times of Coronavirus, “The Distances” is a brilliant display of musicianship and songwriting. The memorability factor does play an important role in not giving the song enough repeat value. At the end of the day, all that matter is how you like the track for its run time – and undoubtedly, I enjoyed every minute of it.