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Greys share anti-gentrification anthem 'Kill Appeal'
Greys share anti-gentrification anthem 'Kill Appeal'
 on
Wednesday, April 24, 2019 - 20:44
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Thomas

The May 10th release date for Greys' third LP on Carpark Records, Age Hasn't Spoiled You, is fast approaching, and today the band have shared the third and final single from the record, "Kill Appeal"

"Kill Appeal" sees the band opening a new bag of tricks yet again. Beginning with an electronic drum beat, a departure in itself for a band whose previous releases were largely recorded in live-off-the-floor, full band sessions, the track builds slowly, with sparse, processed guitar parts dotting the mix before the arrangement gathers together into an ominous synth-abetted buzz with a tone that recalls a horror movie soundtrack. This gives way to breakdown constructed of drum rolls and sampled saxophone squeals, before the band reconstitutes itself for a hypnotic outro featuring frontman Shehzaad Jiwani repurposing a quote from the author, playwright and activist James Baldwin. In the accompanying CoS feature Jiwani expands on the way Baldwin influenced the track, saying that his vocal delivery was inspired by the late author's compassionate approach to debate, addressing the "systematic displacement of marginalized people" by attempting to "sing softly about the issues rather than yell them over noise."

Later in his conversation with CoS, Jiwani details the concept behind the song and its accompanying video, directed by Jiwani and Allison Johnston:
 
"The lyrics of 'Kill Appeal' deal with various aspects of living in a major metropolitan city, from old neighbourhoods being rapidly mutilated to suit the needs of wealthy newcomers to the increasingly imposing police presence. The video seeks to convey still more elements of city living in this era of content rot, constant surveillance and civil unrest by creating snapshots of several different facets of life through the lens of a half-baked millennial flipping channels or scrolling through their Instagram feed. Spoiled for choice, and none of the options are the right one."