Greys have premiered No Star, which is the first single from their forthcoming full length album, ‘Outer Heaven’. You can take a listen to No Star via Soundcloud below.
Written in the wake of the terrorist attacks in Paris, the song addresses the politicized reaction to the attacks while reflecting on vocalist/guitarist Shehzaad Jiwani’s complex relationship with his own voice as a person of colour.
“On one side, you had people burning down mosques and acting violently towards anyone who looked remotely Muslim. On the other, you had people speaking on behalf of the victims and effectively telling them how they should feel about such atrocities,” says Jiwani. “It’s a song about not knowing where you fit in as a person of colour who was raised in a predominantly white community, not identifying completely with either side. It’s about not having a voice, but moreover not knowing where or when or how to speak regardless. It’s about wanting someone to understand and relate to you, but most importantly, letting you speak for yourself.”
Following their late 2015 ‘Repulsion’ EP, ‘Outer Heaven’ furthers the band’s evolution from the punk and post-hardcore roots showcased on their debut LP ‘If Anything’. Produced by longtime collaborator Mike Rocha at the hallowed Hotel 2 Tango studio in Montreal (Arcade Fire, Godspeed You! Black Emperor), the record sees the band expand into more spacious environments, letting them build upon their noise rock foundation by incorporating new textures and dynamics to temper their trademark onslaught of discordance. Whether that means employing tape drones, drum machines and synthesizers on Sorcerer, or breaking into a three-part harmony adorned with sleigh bells in the middle of the all out hardcore of In For A Penny, the record gives the band license to explore their more atmospheric tendencies and bring melody to the forefront without tempering their intensity. In moments calling to mind groups as disparate as Sonic Youth, Swell Maps and The Swirlies, ‘Outer Heaven’ displays unprecedented depth and range for Greys without ever losing sight of what defines the band – a distinct mixture of melody and dissonance, order and chaos, volume and substance
Track list:
01) Cruelty
02) No Star
03) If It’s All The Same To You
04) Blown Out
05) Erosion
06) Complaint Rock
07) In For A Penny
08) Strange World
09) Sorcerer
10) My Life As A Cloud
‘Outer Heaven’ will be available April 22nd on Buzz Records & Carpark. It’s available for pre-order here.
Upcoming dates:
03/05 Brooklyn, NY @ Shea Stadium #
03/11 Cleveland, OH @ Mahall’s $
03/12 Dekalb, IL @ The House Cafe $
03/13 Lawrence, KS @ Jackpot Music Hall $
03/16-19 Austin, TX @ SXSW
03/21 Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade Music Park $
03/22 Charlotte, NC @ Milestone Club $
03/23 Richmond, VA @ Strange Matter $
04/08 London, ON @ Call The Office %
04/09 Hamilton, ON @ Casbah %
04/21 Montreal, QC @ Bar Le Ritz %
04/22 Allston, MA @ O’Brien’s
04/23 Philadelphia, PA @ First United Church
04/24 Washington, DC @ Comet Ping Pong ^
04/27 Detroit, MI @ PJ’s Lager House
04/28 Kalamazoo, MI @ Millhouse
04/29 Chicago, IL @ Mousetrap
# – w/ Big Ups
$ – w/ The Dirty Nil
% – w/ Odonis Odonis
^ – w/ Two Inch Astronaut
