The Year in Pictures - ‘Blood Orange’ | Single Review
October 3 | Written By Anna Konovalenko
The Year In Pictures has just released its debut single ‘Blood Orange’. The song is taken from their upcoming EP album, which the fans are expecting very soon.
The Year In Pictures (TYIP) is a freshly discovered London-based band. Xav Sinden, Oliver Beardmore, Callum Dineen and Matt Suciu are new to the stage but already have a fanbase. They gained popularity very quickly during 2023 playing at local gigs. The first single ‘Blood Orange’ got over 1,000 listens over ten days, and the number continues to grow.
The artists had a great environment to explore themselves. Based in East London – well known for its rich cultural sceneries and a dynamic mix of art and music – TYIP had the right background to explore their transformations and creativity. The synergy of music events, club nights and underground parties features emerging artists like TYIP, making them an integral part of the local music scene.
The band takes inspiration from widely popular shoegaze and alternative artists of the 90s and early 00s like Radiohead, My Bloody Valentine, Pavement and Slowdive. Putting their touch on the genres and adding some modern themes, they might, as well, create a whole new music style.
Their first song is a reflection of a lead singer and songwriter, Xav Sinden, on the concept of identity. He emphasises that not the birthplace or geography shapes you the most, but rather the people who surround you and your relationships with them. Moving places all the time Xav didn’t have one place to stick to, but he found ‘the sense of belonging’ in the people around him. He calls the song ‘a love letter to my friends’. Presumably, following tracks in the EP will also be a confession of the band's life experiences.
‘I liked the challenge that writing within this concept presented in trying to convey these universal feelings in a self-aware, interesting and original way.
As TYIP is still forging its style, the song creates a kaleidoscope of sounds. The instrumental part and the way the guys play with the pedal effect create passion in the air. High vibrational tunes make the listener easily succumb to the rhythm and move up to the beat. A distinctive melodic intro makes it hard to confuse ‘Blood Orange’ with any other song. The single has both melancholic tunes, representing a shoegaze genre, and more enthusiastic motives. In deployment, the song is more responsive to the song ‘Creep’ or 'Karma Police' by Radiohead.
The Year In Pictures attends a whole bunch of London festivals and gigs. So everyone who will get the chance to listen to the ‘Blood Orange’ live performance can consider themselves very lucky.
Check out ‘Blood Orange’ here.
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