Following on from the first single of their latest album cycle, ‘WHAT YOU GONNA DO???’ Bastille have once again refreshed their sound and experimented with new instrumentation in ‘survivin’’ – and unsurprisingly, it’s been a successful move. A much more spacious sound than their previous tracks, the funky guitar groove and rich sax solo in ‘survivin’’ allow the lyrics, which are almost painfully relevant to 2020, to shine.

Although the track was originally written and part recorded pre-lockdown, the central phrase of ‘what can I say? I’m survivin’ / crawling out these sheets to see another day’ will echo many people’s experiences of the last six months, making it a track the masses can instantly relate to. Despite the undertones of anxiety evident in lyrics such as ‘Is the black dog out running wild again for you?’ the refrain of ‘I’m gonna be fine, I’m gonna be fine, I think I’ll be fine,’ coupled with the smooth sax phrases provided by Rittipo give the track an uplifting and almost soothing feeling, while echoing the typical British insistence that we’re always fine, even if that’s far from the truth. Although Bastille frontman Dan Smith said he originally felt self-conscious of having such an accidentally culturally relevant song, he’s since decided to embrace it, saying he thinks ‘2020 is the year we all stopped pretending everything’s fine.’ While the track is certainly very current, it successfully avoids the trap of trying too hard to be relevant and still provides a form of escapism, something Bastille have previous form for, especially in the more overtly political album Wild World.

The guitar-driven melody is also a change to Bastille’s previous two albums which have been more keys- and drum-heavy. The stripped-back production style is a surprise on the first listen, though it is vaguely reminiscent of their debut Bad Blood, and tracks such as ‘Poet’ and ‘Get Home’ that rely less on the layered instrumentation and vocals that have become a mainstay of their last two albums, Wild World and Doom Days. The laid back feel of ‘survivin’’ is also a dramatic contrast to ‘WHAT YOU GONNA DO???’’s built-up rhythms and vocals. It just proves once again that Bastille can be incredibly versatile in their styles and instrumentation, whilst retaining their characteristic sound and producing brilliant music.

Rating: 7/10

survivin’ is available now via Virgin Records LTD

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