It’s difficult to put a finger on Bang Bang Romeo. With tracks that would be at home on the stages of Download Festival, as well as those that are more suited to sweaty club dancefloors, they’re a rare example of a band who almost literally have something for everybody. From the nostalgia flecked “Bag of Bones” to the angular and frenetic “What’s Up” or the empathically uplifting pop of the Example featuring “Love Yourself”, they’re a band with multiple aesthetics, each linked by an overarching message of empowerment. Personal or otherwise.
The band’s latest single “Starve” is no exception. Three minutes of brooding alt-rock that feels as timely as it does timeless, there’s elements of London Grammar at play, likewise Fleetwood Mac. Make no mistake though, this is far from derivative, it’s the sound of Bang Bang Romeo at their boldest; an almost primal energy emerging as the track builds from its understated opening.
A rallying cry against the conveyer belt of bullshit we’re fed on a daily basis, be it by politicians, the media, targeted social media campaigns or just about anything else, the message is simple yet universal. Enough is enough.
Indeed, such is the universal nature of the track that it’s impossible not to feel empowered, uplifted, even liberated by its conclusion. As with any track with a political slant however “Starve” will ultimately have its detractors. They’d be wrong though. In “Starve”, Bang Bang Romeo have released a single that’s as accessible as is it is empowering. Seemingly understated though deeply nuanced at its core, it’s a track well worth getting excited about.