The would-be next album, "Dear Tommy" (2016), was scrapped, and was meant to be re-worked for a subsequent release, however the fate of album is unclear, as on August 10, 2021, Ruth Radelet, Adam Miller and Nat Walker announced the breaking up of Chromatics. Later that day the label, Italians Do It Better, and Johnny Jewel's representative, also confirmed the breakup. Their last album is "Closer to Grey" (2019), which has a companion album, "Faded Now" (2020).
The band originally hailed from Seattle and formed in 2002 as a quartet featuring vocalist Adam Miller, drummer Hannah Blilie, guitarist Devin Welch, and bassist Michelle Nolan. That lineup debuted in 2002 with a Calvin Johnson-produced 7" on Gold Standard Laboratories -- a split with Die Monitr Batss -- and followed with the similarly GSL-issued Chrome Rats vs Basement Ruts LP.
While Chrome Rats was critically hailed, Chromatics couldn't keep it together, and Miller was soon the only member in good standing (Blilie, Welch, and Nolan went on to form the similar-sounding Shoplifting). Unworried, Miller added guitar and drum programming to his vocal duties and tapped bassist Nat Sahlstrom for the 2003 GSL 7" Ice Hatchets. That was followed by the February 2004 full-length Plaster Hounds (which featured the percussion work of Get Hustle's Ron Avila), and a repositioning of the Chromatics axis to greater reflect its dub and no wave influences.
This lineup too dissolved and Adam Miller relocated Chromatics to Portland, teaming up with Glass Candy's Johnny Jewel, Ruth Radelet on lead vocals, and Nat Walker on percussion and saxophone. The new lineup of Chromatics had a more lo-fi electronic sound as opposed to the earlier dub and no-wave sounds.
13. A Matter Of Time
Chromatics Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I knocked at your door
I don't know why
But I can't wait anymore
It's like we're all frozen now
Just like ice in a glass
I didn't come here for answers
When you look deep inside yourself
Well tell me what do you see
Confusion of time again
Or someplace frozen with me
You know love never turns out
The way we all plan
But the door is still open
So give me your hand
Give me your hand
Give me your hand
Time is stretching on
And it keeps on repeating
As the beat goes on
Our dreams have all vanished now
We really thought we could win
But the door is still open
So come on in
And give me your hand
Give me your hand
Give me your hand
Give me your hand
The lyrics of Chromatics' "At Your Door" explore the human emotions of longing and uncertainty. The singer expresses a need to connect with someone - knocking at someone's door - but doesn't know why. The feeling of being "frozen," like a glass of ice, suggests a sense of stasis or stagnation, perhaps due to a lack of answers or direction. The singer didn't come seeking solutions, but rather seeking escape: "I just needed a laugh."
The song suggests a deeper struggle beneath the surface. The line "confusion of time again" implies a sense of deja vu or repetition, a frustration with the cycle of things. The singer wonders what the other person sees when they "look deep inside" themselves. Is it also a confusion of time, or do they see something else entirely? Despite the uncertainty, there's a desire to make a connection and hold on: "the door is still open, so give me your hand."
Line by Line Meaning
I don't know why
I am unsure of my reason for coming.
I knocked at your door
I physically came to your place.
I don't know why
I am still unsure of my motivation.
But I can't wait anymore
I am impatient and eager to see you.
It's like we're all frozen now
We seem stuck in time.
Just like ice in a glass
Our situation is stagnant.
I didn't come here for answers
My intention wasn't to find solutions.
I just needed a laugh
I just wanted to forget problems and have fun.
When you look deep inside yourself
If you introspect deeply,
Well tell me what do you see
can you reveal your true feelings?
Confusion of time again
Are you also lost in passing time?
Or someplace frozen with me
or do you feel stuck with me?
You know love never turns out
Experience has told us,
The way we all plan
That our expectations are rarely met.
But the door is still open
Regardless of our challenges, there's still hope.
So give me your hand
Let's join hands.
Time is stretching on
Time feels endless.
And it keeps on repeating
Our troubles keep returning.
As the beat goes on
As life continues,
Our dreams have all vanished now
Our aspirations are no more.
We really thought we could win
We were quite confident of triumphing.
But the door is still open
Our situation isn't entirely bleak.
So come on in
Please enter.
And give me your hand
Join me as we face difficulties together.
Give me your hand
Lend me your support.
Give me your hand
Let us unite as one.
Give me your hand
We can overcome our problems together.
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Adam Miller, John Padgett
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Christopher Ando
Really one of the best albums I've ever heard
Sandy Wakefield
yes
Emily Jacklin
awesome
TYZ matos
dope
Sandy Wakefield
so so sick
Twin Crystals
FOREVERxx