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.
The River
Chromatics Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I feel the traffic rushing by
Freight train engine in the night
I'm still here waiting for you
I watch the moon hang in the air
I feel the cold breeze in my hair
My eyes blind by headlights glare
I take the night train to sky
Rising up I close my eyes
The ground beneath me dead and dry
I'm still here waiting for you
But I won't cry another tear
For all the pain we saw last year
The river thirsts for those who fear
I'm still here waiting for you
We once walked these streets
In search for the unthinkable
We tried to be invisible
It only made us miserable
I once lost it all
In a game that can't be won
I took a chance and had to run
The river was the only one
Will you leave it all behind
Water Rushing through your mind
The river's thirst is so unkind
But I'm still here waiting for you
In "The River" by Chromatics, the singer describes their wait for a person they deeply care for. The opening lines set the mood, with the singer watching the moon in the sky and hearing the traffic rush by. The use of imagery continues as the singer describes the cold breeze and headlights’ glare. They also describe taking the night train to the sky, highlighting their desire to fly away from their current troubles. However, they find themselves still there, waiting for the person they long for.
The song highlights the complexity of relationships and the rollercoaster of emotions that come with them. The lines "We once walked these streets in search for the unthinkable / We tried to be invisible, it only made us miserable" suggest that the relationship between the singer and the person they're waiting for was not perfect. The singer acknowledges that they had a chance to leave but took the risk and continued, as the river was the only one who understood.
The song ends with the singer asking the person they're waiting for if they will leave it all behind and join them by the river, where they will still be waiting. Overall, the song portrays the singer's desperation to be reunited with someone they deeply care for, despite the difficulties they've faced.
Line by Line Meaning
I watch the moon hang in the sky
I am standing under the night sky watching the moon shining brightly up above.
I feel the traffic rushing by
I feel the fast-moving traffic passing by me.
Freight train engine in the night
I hear the sound of a freight train's engine moving in the dark night.
I'm still here waiting for you
Despite everything that's happening around me, I'm still waiting for you to arrive.
I watch the moon hang in the air
I am still gazing at the moon hanging in the sky.
I feel the cold breeze in my hair
I feel the freezing cold breeze blowing through my hair.
My eyes blind by headlights glare
The glare of other vehicles' headlights blinds me.
I take the night train to sky
I am taking the train at night to reach a higher place.
Rising up I close my eyes
As I ascend, I close my eyes and lift my head up.
The ground beneath me dead and dry
The ground beneath me is lifeless and barren.
But I won't cry another tear
I won't cry anymore for the past sorrows.
For all the pain we saw last year
For all the physical and emotional agony we experienced last year.
The river thirsts for those who fear
The river is in need of those who fear it rather than being fearless.
We once walked these streets
We used to roam around on these streets.
In search for the unthinkable
We were trying to find something that nobody ever thought of before.
We tried to be invisible
We attempted to remain unseen by others.
It only made us miserable
Our effort to stay away from everyone made us miserable.
I once lost it all
I have lost everything in the past.
In a game that can't be won
In a game that has no winner.
I took a chance and had to run
I tried my luck, but in the end, I had to escape or run away.
The river was the only one
The only constant thing during my journey was the flowing river.
Will you leave it all behind
Will you abandon everything and go ahead?
Water Rushing through your mind
Making split-second decisions with the speed of the river water
The river's thirst is so unkind
The river is thirstier than one could anticipate or expect.
But I'm still here waiting for you
Despite all the difficulties I am facing, I am still waiting for you patiently.
Contributed by Arianna P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@Psynalizer
It keeps blowing my mind how good this band is... absolutly...
@ItaliansDoItBetterMusic
such a classic track xo
@hopelessguy1397
This is an amazing song while you're driving on the road at night. 😁
@Pranjal6009
I am lucky to hear this song. Just the type of songs I have been searching for years...
Chromatic's songs are really loveable
@GhostofaSiren
Wow, this is so good. I love it.
@ItaliansDoItBetterMusic
classic slow burner xo
@kevinoakley860
This is so hauntingly beautiful
@PandemoniumMeltDown
If I dare say, I love everything you ever made.
@PandemoniumMeltDown
And every freakin' version of them you ever made... I'm hopelessly still here :D
@dplay2710
I love this song so much your voice is so beautiful I love the music
And that famous monster song.