Vampires, the latest single from Tokyo Art Museum, is a dizzying display of crystalline guitars and stadium-sized vocal melodies.
Tokyo Art Museum is the project of Sydney-based artist Josh Lloyd. Though the project is just at the beginning of its life, the brand new single, Vampires sets a very ambitious marker for whatever is to follow.
Waves of crystalline electric guitars form the backdrop for celestial stacks of vocals. And though the lyrical themes find Lloyd looking within, there’s no doubt that Vampires is intended to be belted out on the big stage.
Listeners are greeted by a warbling, guitar-driven soundscape before the rhythm of clean arpeggios sets the platform for Lloyd’s husky baritone. Things take a turn for the dramatic as the singer intones “you beg for forgiveness with blood on your breath” as the piano chords and drums thunder into the mix.
The layered vocals hit you like waves, before he climbs into a new register, defiantly stating that he “won’t watch himself waste away.” Amid the intimacy of the clean guitars, thick and luscious synth pads envelop the mix, lending the track a cinematic atmosphere.
The ultimate payoff is at the end, as Vampires concludes with thick, euphoric vocal stacks, interwoven with an emotive single layer of melody. The overall result is indie rock on an epic scale.
Check out Vampires from Tokyo Art Museum below:
