‘Ever-blissful, ever-candid and beautifully bittersweet, it’s a lo-fi electric track that fans will love.’
Intro to Four Nights
Tommy Buckley, aka Four Nights, has just released an 80’s zeitgeist of electric pop that you must listen to. The track in question, ‘Grow So Cold’ – which is also the title of his latest three-part release – was written in April 2020 at the height of the Irish lockdown, and although the pandemic meant Tommy lost a year’s worth of travel in Asia, this track has may not have come about otherwise. Speaking on the release, Tommy says: “This was the first song I wrote during lockdown that I loved musically”. And we love it too. Masterfully produced by Diffusion Lab’s Marcin Ciszczon, ‘Grow So Cold’ is sure to only enhance the BBC airplay, 100k + Spotify streams, and the 1m + views on TikTok that Tommy has already amassed.
Track Review
Drawing on influences from the likes of LANY and The 1975, new release ‘Grow So Cold’ reaches into a pit of reflective cinematic soundscapes and bubble pop-infused syncopation. Instantly it’s an impressive single, and one that builds on the sound that many fans have already taken a liking to. The lo-fi electric style is ever-blissful and ever-candid, and packed with bittersweet emotion, Tommy’s slick vocals tells the tale of coming to terms with a dwindling relationship’s finality in a refreshing way.
‘[the track] is about a relationship on thin ice and close to its end. The protagonist is reflecting on the lack of effort being invested, and how they can’t remember the moment, or moments when things started to go bad.’
While the track may delve into a slightly darker element of Tommy’s sound, the trademarks experienced in previous releases are still apparent. The beat-driven rhythmic centre remains strong and enticing. The deep synth bass lines too. Each adding to the emotive ebb and flow, these instrumental elements really are alluring.
Providing equal strength, the vocals are never lost, with heavy reverbs and vocoder-esque processing pushing earlier phrases into a new dimension. Meanwhile, the lyricism itself plucks at the heartstrings via a vivid array of memories and flickers of potential relatability. And all without ever having to sacrifice any of the catchy, addictively candied electric pop that we have come to love.
Simultaneously moving, yet a brilliant track to bop along to, ‘Grow So Cold’ wonderfully highlights why Four Nights is most definitely an artist to both listen to, and look out for.
Feature by Harriet Heywood
