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TW: Violence against women, discussion of victim blaming
Violence Out Tonight is more than just another song by a niche indie band - it's a sincere, profound piece of music that actually makes listeners stop, think and feel. The three male band members of Little Comets – Mickey, Rob and Matt – bravely choose to convey the experience of women who have been affected by violence.
This could have turned out very badly; men tackling this topic could be yet another attempt to overshadow female voices. They completely avoid this pitfall through the poignancy and intelligence of their lyrics. Their honest and poetic lyricism speaks for itself - ‘as his fingers strike her blouse, all the words that he espoused, lie deftly scattered on the ground’. These three men somehow manage to capture the trauma of violence while undercutting a judicial system that often renders women silent. What could have been a trite attempt to present women as helpless victims and score ‘sympathy’ points, is actually a beautifully crafted and genuine track. Incredible considering that the percussion track is a mixture of a washing machine door and a bin lid recorded in Mickey’s kitchen.
Little Comets are doing what musicians should be doing; pushing limits and talking about things that international record labels don’t want talked about. Their own record label, Sony Australia, suggested that their most recent album should not be released because of a ‘lack of a UK plot’ whatever that means. The point is that this song wasn’t made to sell tickets, second guess audience tastes or get on the radio. It was made because three talented musicians wanted to express something real and honest. In doing so, they made a tough topic listenable.
As much as I enjoy Hotline Bling, I think that audiences are clamouring for something more than anacondas and wrecking balls. I, for one, want more courage and authenticity in the music I listen to week by week - two things that Little Comets have in abundance.
Every Wednesday, one of our young contributors picks a piece of music that has meant something to them in the past seven days. Get in touch if you have a track to tell us about!