Media Writing thing for uni. x

Music that you listen to at/or has a different affect at a certain time.

Friendly Fires- ipod on the way to Uni!

Hearing is the odd one out of all the senses. Unlike smell, taste and vision it isn’t based on a series of chemical reactions but it relies completely on physical movement to exist. This is similar to my need for Friendly Fires, which without these moments of longing to dance, it might just not have such a strong existence. However when its 8.35 on a Wednesday morning the general public may not be overly casual about walking past a dancing student when the only sounds they are experiencing are the continuous groans of the morning traffic, unaware of the treats that my ipod is dishing out.

Its my shoulders that are the first to go. The sound spills into my head like the sweet misty aroma of sizzling bacon drawing you out of bed. My head fills with visions of shapes and colours as I fight the urge to shuffle and wiggle down the street like a cast member from a west end musical. My eyes are forced to awaken as I make the journey from my warm cosy house through the crisp autumn streets.

Track 4 of the genius self titled debut is ‘White Diamonds’, which is where it all begins for me. My fingers want to click along with the sparkling metallic beats as they build up towards the chorus where I want to sing the melodies and harmonies to cover the mundane activities of an urban midweek morning. ‘ Skeleton Boy’ is another vibrant track where I feel inspired by singer Ed Macfarlane’s spectacular onstage gyrations that I recall vividly from their Glastonbury appearance this summer. The radiant video for the band’s most recent, and infectious single ‘Kiss of Life’ also includes some electrifying moves which alongside the paradise setting would make anyone want to crawl through the screen to team up.

So back to reality, I’m strolling along the paths covered with fallen leaves but I don’t feel the crunches underfoot. My headphones fog my senses as my hearing works overtime through the quirky romantic wonder ‘Photobooth’ which first appeared in the three track EP released in 2006. A doss of freedom and freshness pumps through my blood when its just me, the city streets and Friendly Fires. My fingers tap as they grip my books, my mouth awkwardly resists miming the words all the way to my crowded destination. Yet I am the only one who saunters on the empty pavements. I’m the only one awake.