Up and Comers Music

From Hendrix’s “Purple Haze” to Coldplay’s “Yellow” to the Stones’ “Paint it Black”, songs with colors as the central focus are undoubtedly some of the most legendary in the modern canon. Often taking us on metaphorical journeys that colors can conjure in the mind, many of these songs assign specific connotations to the various hues that are visible to the human eye. UK’s Pocket Lint continues in this tradition of honing in on a color in their forthcoming track “Cyanometer”, but they take a unique posture by shunning the tradition of assigning an obvious meaning to the song’s central focus (which, you guessed it, is the color blue). 

Alluding to an ancient tool used to measure the blueness of the sky, “Cyanometer” is the first single off of Pocket Lint’s forthcoming Wunderkammer, the German word for “cabinet of curiosities” popular during the Renaissance era. As the artist tells us, each song will be like an exhibit within the Wunderkammer. And in this first single “Cyanometer”, exhibit definitely feels like the right descriptor. With no obvious thesis easily detectable, the song is more of an exploration of a concept rather than a story with a clear moral, in just the way a good museum exhibit might dwell on a theme through disparate visual elements. Sonically, Pocket Lint lays out a very minimalistic beat, most notable for its firecracker-sounding snare, underneath waves of modulating synths. The color blue is easily – but not too obviously – evoked by the swelling and receding of the synths that might conjure the cerulean shades of the ocean or the wispy strokes of a cloud-infused sky. In the vocals, we hear a little bit of Bowie and a bit of the Depeche Mode style, and in the melodies and relaxed pace, we can’t help but catch a bit of Pink Floyd nostalgia. All of these influences and textures blend together as Pocket Lint takes us through a stream of consciousness-like dialogue about the color blue in different contexts, from Picasso’s blues to blue-eyed boys to blue films. 

At the risk of over-simplifying the song’s multi-faceted meanings, Pocket Lint’s “Cyanometer” represents for us a refreshing sense of musical nomadism. Reflecting and exploring rather than seeking an endpoint, Pocket Lint takes us on a meditative journey through the color blue that feels almost therapeutic. With production that is both crisp and not overdone, Pocket Lint is really up to something special here, piquing our curiosity to hear what comes next in this cabinet of marvels.

“Cyanometer” comes out on April 24th. Follow Pocket Lint on Instagram to stay up to date on their latest, and check out their bandcamp to explore past releases. 

Check out our Up and Comers playlist to discover more emerging artists.