Although they went to school together and played “in various bad bands in various combinations with a few other guys”, it wasn’t until last February that the quartet of McManus, Adam Ketterer (drums), Gibran Farrah (guitar) and David Madden (bass) started to take their music seriously as There Will Be Fireworks (TWBF). All aged between 21 and 22 and at the end of various university and college courses, they’re now ready to unveil a self-financed debut album that is nothing short of astonishing.
From the spoken word intro by author Kevin MacNeil on Columbian Fireworks through the orchestral pomp of We Sleep Through the Bombs to the impassioned strains of last track Joined Up Writing, the album is rousing and magnificent, with an uncommon, almost Abbey Road-like consideration for the way the songs flow together. A work of lofty ambition, it took them a year to record, although this wasn’t as indulgent or tortured as that might normally suggest.
“We were only doing a few days at a time, stolen moments away from university and work, so it took a lot longer than it otherwise would have,” McManus says. “But that was a good thing because it allowed us to obsess over little details we would have otherwise have ignored.” Farrah agrees: “I reckon we spent about two weeks’ worth of time recording over the course of a year, meaning that we would record something and then have the time to think about what we might add or change to the songs.”
McManus’ lyrics tend to put heartache under the microscope, whether personal (“you’re unravelling in my arms”) or observed (“and if she dreams she dreams of the sounds you never speak”), but stay just on the right side of the fine line between earnestness and angst. “There is a kind of common thread on the album, but different songs are inspired by different people,” McManus reveals. “Basically, as horrendously clichéd and cheesy it sounds, the lyrics reflect a certain time and place in my life. Some of the lyrics are vague and some are a bit more personal but it’s probably best to let people interpret them however they like.”
TWBF have already attracted comparisons to Scottish trailblazers The Twilight Sad and Frightened Rabbit, in part due to a similar dynamic aesthetic, but mostly down to the mundane fact that McManus sings in his own accent. “There seems to be a fervour to lump everything with a Scottish accent together, and in doing so to gloss over any musical differences between bands,” he complains. “I’d feel daft if I was to sing in a pretend Californian or London accent or whatever. Hopefully when people hear the album in its entirety, we’ll be able to stake a claim to our own little niche.”
With critical acclaim surely around the corner and the follow-up already in gestation, There Will Be Fireworks look set to blow up in spectacular style.
www.myspace.com/therewillbefireworks
Youngblood
There Will Be Fireworks Lyrics
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Your nerves all cut to ribbon, you can barely eat
You're far from home, far from home
Hearing voices on the underground
The built they up and, boy, they will cut you down
And break your bones, break your bones
We've been turning, turning, turning old
Young blood on the floor and a television glow
You've been drinking quietly tonight
Trying to take the edge off the dark, dark bright
Like every time, like every time
The lyrics to "Youngblood" by There Will Be Fireworks are about the anxiety and restlessness that can come with being a young person in an uncertain and often hostile world. The first verse describes a person who is struggling to sleep and eat due to their nerves being "cut to ribbon." They are far from home and feel constantly threatened, hearing ominous voices even on the underground. The second verse describes a group of young people who are "turning old" and wasting time, with "young blood on the floor and a television glow." Finally, the chorus returns to the theme of quiet desperation, with the singer drinking to "take the edge off the dark, dark bright" - perhaps a metaphor for the harsh reality of the world they live in.
The song captures the sense of unease and uncertainty that is common among young people, and the pressures they face as they navigate a world that often feels hostile and unforgiving. The lyrics use vivid imagery to convey this sense of foreboding, with references to cutting, breaking bones, and the dark brightness of the world. The music itself is moody, with melancholic lyrics set against a driving rhythm and soaring guitar riffs.
Line by Line Meaning
You've been twisting, turning in your sleep
You have been struggling in your restlessness
Your nerves all cut to ribbon, you can barely eat
You are anxious and have lost your appetite
You're far from home, far from home
You are in a place that is unfamiliar and distant
Hearing voices on the underground
You are hearing ominous whispers in the subway
The built they up and, boy, they will cut you down
They have built up your expectations but will ultimately disappoint you
And break your bones, break your bones
They will hurt you deeply and leave you broken
We've been turning, turning, turning old
We have been growing tired and weary with age
Young blood on the floor and a television glow
The youth around us are wasting away with distractions of technology
We're wasting time, wasting time
We are not making the most of our finite existence
You've been drinking quietly tonight
You are trying to cope with your pain by drinking in solitude
Trying to take the edge off the dark, dark bright
Attempting to lessen the intensity of the harsh reality
Like every time, like every time
It is a recurring behavior and a pattern
Contributed by Tristan K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.