Sometimes we need a bit of nostalgia, but done in a newer way. One way to get this is lo-fi music with its nostalgic tunes and low-fidelity sound, but there’s so much more out there. There’s been a resurgence of artists making music that’s greatly reminiscent of the 80s, and it’s done in a way that’s both nostalgic and also new. 12Limbs has really displayed this with their latest track ‘Embrace.’ Embrace is the perfect 80s bop. It has everything from the groovy synths, to a vocal tone you’d typically hear in the 80s, and to the poetic lyricism. It’s truly a throwback, but it’s something new as well. This track is perfect for anyone that loves the 80s psychedelic scene or has been exploring music that’s reminiscent of that scene.
‘Embrace’ feels like the perfect mesh of nostalgia and something new. A lot of the synthy sounds in it, and especially the vocals and vocal tone, pulls the listener straight back to the rock music of the 80s. But on top of that, there’s an indie rock twang pulled in from more current music. It sounds like of a lot of the good art rock of this day and age which phenomenally tie in the sounds of the psychedelic scene. It sounds almost as if Toto had somehow come together now rather than the 80s. This track is loaded with beautiful vocal harmonies, and it pulls a lot from the specific instrumental distortions used. There’s truly something to pay attention to in every instrument and synth, but it’s blended in a way that doesn’t make any one instrument jarring. It all fits together so neatly but has a bit of an experimental twang in the way each instrument is used.
The thing about ‘Embrace’s lyricism is that it also sounds very 80s. It really builds a mental storyscape with it’s poetic lyrics that can be interpreted in so many different ways depending on how the listener looks into it. One way to see it is as a track about pushing forward from the difficulties in your life and the world. “When we take the look beyond the horizon / Breaking one more chain of our mistakes / Everyone is longing it like crazy / And embrace what it takes,” The lyrics ring out. This could be read as being a poetic exploration of overcoming difficulties with some of the things we’ve done wrong in our lives. When we look beyond the horizon, that is the future, and we must embrace what it takes to keep moving forward.
12Limbs is a Russian indie-rock band who makes an eclectic array of music. They originally came together in 2015, but eventually broke up and came back together with the original members in 2018. They finally were able to start releasing official music in 2019. From there they’ve released numerous singles that explore different sounds with their indie-rock basis. They’ve more recently been looking into expanding their range to an audience all around the world, and their musical range seems to grow with every single release.
Written by Sage Plapp
