Everything Everything - Regret

Everything Everything will release their third album "Get to Heaven" on 15 June, through Sony RCA. Earlier last week (6th May) the video for the second release of the album, "Regret", was released. The genre that Everything Everything have been placed in is art-rock. I just think their material is very danceable, with some obscure references and smarter lyrics than some run-of-the-mill rock. Which is probably some of the key features of art-rock.

"Regret" is the second offering to be heard from the album, after the excellent "Distant Past". It has a really effective start, with a direct sounding drum part, accompanied by Jonathan Higgs vocals in conjunction with strong backing vocals singing the words "regret, regret" at the end of each line. It's really effective, giving it a call and response feel, until the chorus, with the words "But did you imagine it
In a different way?
Did you imagine it
(But did you imagine it)
In a different way?"

I think regret is one of the foremost human emotions, that comes to the fore on such a regular basis, whether it is for small or large things. In this song it is sung in a wistful way, appropriating the sentiment of the song, doing so in a way that feels more flowy than the verses, which have a stop-start quality to them, due to the lines kind of stopping everytime the words regret are repeated.

The video is interesting. The protagonists seem to be members of a cult, being indoctrinated deeper into the cult, in some sort of baptismal ritual. It is strikingly effective. When you think about it, who has more to regret than those individuals who have fallen prey to the charms of a cult? There's a great bit at the end where the leader is engulfed in flames and seems to be dancing in a shamanic sort of ritual. Anyway, I am looking forward to seeing what will come next from this band; third albums are often where their confidence has been established and chances can be taken, with a loyal fanbase established.