Single Review: Don’t Look Back

New Zealand’s rock darlings, I Am Giant have started their 2018 with a bang – releasing their first new single of the year, Don’t Look Back; before they unleash their hotly-anticipated third full-length album, Life in Captivity - which is due out in March. This will be the first full-length release from the band since 2014’s Science and Survival.

The song demonstrates the solidarity of the trio – who have undergone a few changes in lead vocalists across the past few years. Long-time guitarist Aja Timu affirmed his place as the band’s frontman at the beginning of 2017 and with this single demonstrates his ease and confidence in this role.

It is apparent that the band have set their sights on the same mainstream appeal and success that they have achieved from their previous records. The song is an easy-going track about relationship struggles that harbours a simple and catchy chorus that you’ll have stuck in your head long after the song has ended.

The song begins with the pulse of the guitar underpinned by the swift flicker of drums by Shelton Woolright. Timu brings in the verse gently before the song expands with full-blown instrumentation and harmonies. The chorus elongates the pace with drawn out title lyrics that are sure to be chanted by the crowd when the song is performed live. While there isn’t anything inherently bad about it, you almost wish that the band raised the bar a little and spun out something more invigorated.

What they do well on the track is match the tenderness of the song’s message in the songs production, and utilise moments such as the mellow guitar solo to accentuate some sensitivity.

While this song isn’t ground-breaking, or of a sound that is vastly new from the band, its familiarity is bound to be widely enjoyed by fans. Critically, it’s almost a shame that the talented trio don’t exert their musical prowess more in their song-writing and composition. But why toy with a formula that has worked for them in their career so far?

It will be interesting to see what dimensions Life in Captivity will offer when it is out next month; but going off of this first single it looks like I Am Giant are going to be on heavy radio rotation in 2018.

_{Review written by Janise Kumar}