Letting Up Despite Great Faults is the indie electro-based sonic diary of f… Read Full Bio ↴Letting Up Despite Great Faults is the indie electro-based sonic diary of founding member Mike Lee. Their 2009 self-titled debut LP was an exploration of indiepop melodies, electro beats, and shoegaze guitars. The lead single "In Steps" instantly caught the attention of everyone from Pitchfork to Rolling Stone. With rave reviews and countless blog support, 2011 saw the release of Paper Crush, an EP full of washed synths, hazy guitars, and heartfelt pop that NPR called "both nostalgic and caught in a moment that feels never-ending." Since then, they've continued to refine and expand their sound in their 2nd LP, Untogether, an album that radiates infectious melodies, heartbreaking sentiments, and danceable dreampop. They have been compared to similar artists such as New Order, The Postal Service, M83, and The Radio Dept.

“blissful, shimmery...”
-Rolling Stone

“both nostalgic and caught in a moment that feels never-ending”
-NPR

"an unexpected pleasure"
-Pitchfork.com

“music that's light as a feather and ephemeral as a dream.”
-Interview Mag

“if there was ever a band to spearhead the recent renaissance of dream-pop fever then this is the act to get invested in”
-Aquarium Drunkard

“enough upbeat pep in its step to make the dog days of summer a little cooler”
-I Guess I'm Floating

"captures the essence of teen dreams"
-USA Today

"Fall for the band’s dreamy electronica sound"
-MAGNET Magazine

"Eclectic, heartbreaking and full of shoegaze glory, the Los Angeles, Calif. band's latest is their best yet"
-AOL/Spinner

"Friday afternoon surprise"
-MSN

“songs as sweet as blood orange flavored lollipops and as hazy as the golden hour sun on the Santa Monica pier”
-yvynyl

“Within the folds of atmospheric pop laced with shivery electronica “
-My Old Kentucky Blog

"this is a band that should no longer go ignored."
-Consequence of Sound

“perfect dream-pop “
-FensePost

“only get better with each record”
-The Owl Mag

“a smooth ride of sun, sea and sweeping sands”
-The 405

“a rather fantastic EP”
-Death + Taxes

“they’ll be going places soon enough”
-North American Scum

“Jesus what a great song”
-Life After Nirvana

“ beautiful, lifting fusion of gentle vocals and soaring synth-based instrumentals”
-Kata Rokkar

"It's amazing how effortless the band is able to sound while packing in all these feel good sounds."
-We All Want Someone To Shout For

"what to do when the heat has got you down? Distract yourself with a summertime playlist, duh. And we have the perfect addition- Letting Up Despite Great Faults."
-The Music Slut

“This is the kind of summery music that invented the term ‘summery music’”
-32ft/second

“I gotta tell you straight away it's one damn good song.”
-Against The Odds

“Get ready folks, as this is something really special.”
-Austin Town Hall

“like the Jesus & Mary Chain smothered in honey”
-The Devil Has The Best Tuna

“filled with delicious indie-pop gems”
-Some Velvet Blog

“splendid works of magic”
-Burning World

“bedroom-project-turned-pop-darlings”
-Buzzbands.la

“amazing, shoe-gazing indie-pop”
-DefineUs

“Soft indie pop vocals with big electro sounds and thick guitars make for a perfect storm with these guys”
-Each Note Secure

“transcend influences and deliver something that is both unique and arresting.”
-The Ash Gray Proclamation

“If they’d occurred a decade ago they would have run alongside Lush, the Pale Saints and the Drop Nineteens and would very definitely have been signed to 4AD”
-Magnetic Magazine

"feel-good melancholy"
-Exclaim!

"4/5"
-Baeble

"fuzzed-out guitars, blippy synths, and the free-floating vocals"
-Tea Party Boston: Interview 3/13/10

"A-"
-Pop Tarts Suck Toasted

"The instrumentation was consistently top notch"
-Music Induced Euphoria: Noise Pop Concert Review 2/27/10

“I can’t get enough of it”
-Off The Radar

“Charmingly brilliant stuff”
-The Pop! Stereo

“sweet, hazy, noisy greatness”
-DBF-Music.com

"magical songs that make you fall instantly in love"
-The Indie Music Database: Video of the Week 5/10/10

"they’re going to blow up very soon."
-The Tape

"beautiful euphoric tones"
-Einstein Music Journal

"a perfect marriage of M83 and Slowdive"
-QRO Magazine

"4 stars"
-Groovemine

"good-for-your-health audio"
-Ohh! Crapp

“evokes sunshine induced feelings while still sounding like a rainy day”
-DeckFight

"Bashfully bittersweet shoegaze"
-Earworm, Much Music

"so good"
-kid_for_today

"we already love these up-and-comers"
-Sheena Beaston

"one to watch"
-Scottish Friction

"beautifully somber soundscapes with a clear pop aesthetic"
-The Sky Report

“acts as the perfect accompaniment to a lazy afternoon lying in the sun and helps to make long hot summer days that much more enjoyable & relaxing”
-Eclectically Challenged

“electronic pop masterminds”
-Knox Road

“pop-y, dreamy vocals”
-The Fox Is Black

“One of the most underrated pop bands in the United States”
-Twentyseven Views

“ gives us is a song that’s much more enjoyable than perhaps our teenage years ever were.”
-In Your Speakers

“songs that i’m not afraid to call ‘perfect’”
-Me, And All My Friends

"simply gorgeous"
-BandsOfTheBay.com

"the perfect slouchy cableknit for breezy days and changing seasons."
-Luxury Wafers

"enchanted melodies that make you feel all sorts of warm and wonderful."
-No Conclusion

"loving every single minute of it"
-Indiehere

"the perfect soundtrack for a teenage romance."
-In This Week

"The perfect soundtrack for snow gazing out a train window."
-5 Acts

"dreamy LA-based band"
-Welikeit.indie

"the band’s fuzzy hazy sense of pop is quite filling"
-TwentySeven Views

"the video of Our Younger Noise has ‘Hello Summer’ written all over on it"
-AudioPorn Central

"all kinds of shimmery ambient crescendos crashing like the waves in the Pacific. "
-Cause=Time

"will whisk you off to somewhere far from here"
-CYSTSFTS

"wash of shoegaze dream pop"
-Impressionable Youth

Bulletproof Girl
Letting Up Despite Great Faults Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Will you break me down?
Will you break me down?

I'm bulletproof now
I'm bulletproof now

I can see every word bounce off you and i realized i spoke to soon
If i fold, will you take me out?

If i fold, will you take me down?
You'll never find your way back
I'll never find my way back

I'm bulletproof now
Blindfold me so i won't know where to aim
I'm bulletproof now
I can't reach you now

I can see every word bounce off you and i realized i spoke to soon
If i fold, will you take me out?
If i fold, will you take me down?

You'll never find your way back
I'll never find my way back

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "Bulletproof Girl" by Letting Up Despite Great Faults capture the idea of trying to protect oneself from emotional pain and the fear of opening up to others. The repeated question of "Will you break me down?" reveals the singer's vulnerability and fear of being hurt by someone they care about. However, despite this fear, the singer believes they are "bulletproof now," meaning they have developed a shield to protect themselves from harm.

This shield may manifest in a few different ways. For example, the line "Blindfold me so I won't know where to aim" suggests that the singer is purposely blinding themselves to the potential risks of a relationship. They are so afraid of being hurt that they are willing to overlook warning signs or red flags in order to maintain the illusion of safety.

At the same time, the repeated refrain of "I can see every word bounce off you" indicates that the singer is projecting this bulletproof mentality onto someone else. They are assuming that the other person is just as impervious to emotional damage as they are, and as a result, they might be misinterpreting the other person's feelings or intentions.

Overall, the song paints a picture of someone who is struggling to navigate the complexities of human relationships, and who is desperately trying to avoid being hurt. Despite the bravado of the repeated refrain, "I'm bulletproof now," the underlying fear and uncertainty suggest that the singer's armor may not be as impenetrable as they believe.

Line by Line Meaning

Will you break me down?
Asking if the other person will emotionally or mentally hurt them.

I'm bulletproof now
Feeling invincible and that nothing can harm them.

I can see every word bounce off you and i realized i spoke too soon
Realizing that the other person is unaffected by their words and that they underestimated their emotional strength.

If i fold, will you take me out?
Wondering if the other person will take advantage of their vulnerability or weakness.

You'll never find your way back
Feeling lost and unsure of how to repair the current situation.

I'll never find my way back
Feeling lost and unsure of how to repair the current situation.

Blindfold me so i won't know where to aim
Asking to be blinded to avoid making mistakes or causing harm.

I can't reach you now
Feeling that the other person is out of reach emotionally.

Writer(s): Lee Michael M

Contributed by Jasmine I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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