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.
These Streets Will Never Look the Same
Chromatics Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And disappeared some more each day
Spent my life inside this room
And disappeared some more each day
The screen stayed flashing in my mind
The screen stayed flashing in my mind
The screen stayed flashing in my mind
Spent my life inside this room
And disappeared some more each day
Spent my life inside this room
And disappeared some more each day
I couldn't run away from you
You kept me hanging on the line
I couldn't run away from you
You kept me hanging on the line
I get so lonely all the time
I try to find my way back home
These streets will never look the same
My broken heart erased your name
The screen stayed flashing in my mind
The screen stayed flashing in my mind
The screen stayed flashing in my mind
The screen stayed flashing in my mind
Spent my life inside this room
And disappeared some more each day
These streets will never look the same
My broken heart erased your name
The screen stayed flashing in my mind
The screen stayed flashing in my mind
The screen stayed flashing in my mind
The screen stayed flashing in my mind
The lyrics of Chromatics's song "These Streets Will Never Look the Same" describe the feeling of being trapped in a confined space for a long time and feeling disconnected from the outside world. The repetition of the line "spent my life inside this room and disappeared some more each day" highlights a sense of isolation and desperation. The screen that stays flashing in the singer's mind can be interpreted as a metaphor for how technology can be addictive and disconnect people from reality.
The lines "I couldn't run away from you, you kept me hanging on the line" hint at a toxic relationship that the singer wants to escape from but can't. The loneliness and longing for home described in the line "I get so lonely all the time, I try to find my way back home" is relatable to anyone who has felt lost or disconnected from their surroundings.
In the chorus, the singer declares that "these streets will never look the same" and that their broken heart has erased the person's name. This could signify a breakthrough or moment of acceptance that they are moving on from the past and the person that hurt them.
Overall, "These Streets Will Never Look the Same" reflects on themes of loneliness, confinement, and the struggle to escape from the past and move on.
Line by Line Meaning
Spent my life inside this room
I have spent most of my life confined to this room
And disappeared some more each day
Everyday I feel as if I'm losing a bit more of myself
The screen stayed flashing in my mind
The screen, which likely represents technology or a numbing escapism, continued to dominate my thoughts
The screen stayed flashing in my mind
The screen, which likely represents technology or a numbing escapism, continued to dominate my thoughts
The screen stayed flashing in my mind
The screen, which likely represents technology or a numbing escapism, continued to dominate my thoughts
The screen stayed flashing in my mind
The screen, which likely represents technology or a numbing escapism, continued to dominate my thoughts
Spent my life inside this room
I have spent most of my life confined to this room
And disappeared some more each day
Everyday I feel as if I'm losing a bit more of myself
I couldn't run away from you
I am unable to escape the influence of something or someone
You kept me hanging on the line
You had me in a state of uncertainty and lack of closure
I couldn't run away from you
I am unable to escape the influence of something or someone
You kept me hanging on the line
You had me in a state of uncertainty and lack of closure
I get so lonely all the time
I frequently feel alone and disconnected
I try to find my way back home
I am attempting to return to a sense of comfort or familiarity
These streets will never look the same
I can no longer view or experience the world in the same way due to my experiences
My broken heart erased your name
The pain I experienced caused me to forget about the one who hurt me
The screen stayed flashing in my mind
The screen, which likely represents technology or a numbing escapism, continued to dominate my thoughts
The screen stayed flashing in my mind
The screen, which likely represents technology or a numbing escapism, continued to dominate my thoughts
The screen stayed flashing in my mind
The screen, which likely represents technology or a numbing escapism, continued to dominate my thoughts
The screen stayed flashing in my mind
The screen, which likely represents technology or a numbing escapism, continued to dominate my thoughts
Lyrics © ITALIANS DO IT BETTER INTERNATIONAL, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Adam Miller, John Padgett, Nathaniel Miller
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
MNML ϟTELLΔR
+ lyrics +
Spent my life inside this room
And disappeared some more each day
Spent my life inside this room
And disappeared some more each day
The screen stayed flashing in my mind
The screen stayed flashing in my mind
The screen stayed flashing in my mind
The screen stayed flashing in my mind
Spent my life inside this room
And disappeared some more each day
Spent my life inside this room
And disappeared some more each day
I couldn't run away from you
You kept me hanging on the line
I couldn't run away from you
You kept me hanging on the line
I get so lonely all the time
I try to find my way back home
These streets will never look the same
My broken heart erased your name
The screen stayed flashing in my mind
The screen stayed flashing in my mind
The screen stayed flashing in my mind
The screen stayed flashing in my mind
Spent my life inside this room
And disappeared some more each day
These streets will never look the same
My broken heart erased your name
The screen stayed flashing in my mind
The screen stayed flashing in my mind
The screen stayed flashing in my mind
The screen stayed flashing in my mind
Heath Mason
Such gold!! This is one of those songs that I will never get tired of. It hits me deep. 🖤
Julian Kliemann
Still not tired of listening to it?
Vinicius Dourado
How many songs are sung by Adam Miller? His voice is so wonderful.
mordecai2691
This is seriously one of the most amazing songs I've ever heard. I can connect to the lyrics on such a deep level, it gives me chills.
Julian Kliemann
Are you still there and in love with this song like you were 10 years ago?
Syd Diesel
Magnificent wonderful song love it
Thanks for sharing my friend
Jack Ofalltrades Ytwok
One has to love Chromatics......... Been a fan for about a year. Shame on me that I did not discovered them sooner.
TheCo2salamon
I got to see them in concert last week up in San Francisco. They killed this song!
Tripp426
I absolutely love this song. The drumless version not nearly as much though.
chicken little
This is just like absolute perfection. This sound & this video just makes me want to implode.