With the understated, melodic acoustic indie-folk of ‘No Change Tonight’, lifted from their ‘All That Distance’ EP, China Bears – twin brothers Ivan and Frazer (guitar and vocals, and guitar respectively) alongside bassist James and drummer Dean – present quite a different take on addressing grief and social anxiety, by packaging it into a most immediate, in-the-moment narrative vignette.
I took a moment outside to put myself together,
The host came out to see me,
The party stayed inside behind her.
She said it means so much you coming,
I hope you’re having a good time.
I thought I really hate to do it,
Sometimes it’s best to lie.
It’s not angst-ridden, and nor is it self-pitying, it’s just inwardly reflective and sad, and conveys the ache. As Ivan says, “’No Change Tonight’ is written about when it just takes it all out of you,” and it’s that inward slump, that sense of emptiness that the song conveys so eloquently, the understated musical backing perfectly mirroring the mood, even as it breaks into a luscious, slow climax. Downbeat, but magnificent.
