California based post-hardcore band, Movements, recently released their newest single, “Barbed Wire Body”, on March 11th, 2022. This is the first release following their second full length album, “No Good Left to Give”. While this newest single definitely aligns more with this prior release than it does their first, it still brings something newer to the table.
In previous years, Movements’ sound could be described as slower post-hardcore or alt-rock. Songs such as “Third Degree” and “Daylily” off of their debut album, “Feel Something”, are still sonically upbeat, but follow a much slower beat and are not quite as driven as their later releases would sound. “No Good Left to Give” is very guitar influenced, with heavy, yet catchy, riffs driving the overall sound of the album. “Barbed Wire Body” is definitely along that same vein, with a much more altruistic pop-punk sound. The song starts with a short guitar riff, leading into vocalist Pat Miranda’s ever-so-smooth voice. The song portrays that of someone who simply hides in the shadows of life, too guarded to do much else; someone that is always on the lookout for something that could harm them, implying that they’ve largely lived a life of hurt previously.
Dark lyrics are hidden behind heavy instrumentals, such as “You hide the devil in the details/And hide yourself in the deceit/Stick around until your lungs fail/Make sure you’re out before you bleed”, further pushing the narrative of the lonely protagonist to this sad story. However, towards the end of the song, it almost sounds as if Miranda is almost begging with the protagonist to stop guarding themselves so much, as though if they keep doing this, it will be irreparable, with the final verse reading, “You’re a prisoner of your own device/Play a stupid game, win a stupid prize/Holy ghost in silver sheets/Heart shaped holes and trails of grief”, cycling back into the chorus. Overall, Movements delivers another sonically upbeat track that strikes you in the heart upon a further listen. The group is currently on tour with Knocked Loose across the United States. Make sure to catch them and to support their team!
