‘ Wasteland’
Life’ s a pretty funny place when you’ re living in this Wasteland Time stretching like a waistband It kinda leaves a funny taste in your mouth When you think about how long this will take man
I was sitting on the sidewalk drinking til my mind stops sinking down
I can’ t stop thinking bout how I could be missing out I should be messing around I wanna be sleeping but the city’ s too loud
Sometimes I wonder where my brain’ s gone Maybe I left it at the till? I’ m always thinking up the same songs
I’ m just this little tiny spec out in space with a taste for attention No motivation at all It kinda seems like reality tv I’ m from the valley where the people always fake it Anticipation, sometimes I wonder if we’ ll make it out our basement And if we don’ t I don’ t know how
I’ m gonna face it
I’ d rather be a deadbeat knowing that I had a dream and fucking chased it
Sometimes I wonder where my brain’ s gone Maybe I left it at the till? I’ m always thinking up the same songs
We’ re only here for a short time so where should I go
Tears on the shoreline sink through the stones
I’ m trying to live for my days like a riff on the stage
Like a spliff on the way home from a shift in a cage
Sometimes the rain makes my day just a little bit better
Sometimes the pain really is the beauty in a fall
Sometimes the rain makes my day just a little bit better
In the next track, the drummer and the singer unexpectedly swap positions with the other. If their first track was an ode to 21st century existential paranoia, the second track“ Cosmos” is the antidote. In parallel the drumbeat comes in played by Helena now, a reassuring safety net of a song rescues you from the pain and angst of the previous track.
Wandering backing vocals hinting of Bowie, prop up a downtempo lullaby sung softly by Devin. Reminiscent of the relaxed rhythm of Red Hot Chilli Peppers track‘ Under the Bridge,’ the sparse guitars and low key vocals float untethered like an astronaut abandoned in space. It’ s an expansive song with some melancholy mixed in. The lyrics are inspired by the February 2021 launch of a NASA robot landing on Marz.
Their music is an exploration of styles that they nail in each song they write. As Devin points out their music is evolving all the time:“ Our art starts off weird and badly shaped, like you’ re carving things out of the snow. We form it into what it is, the final sound.“ Room Service started with 4 musicians and now they are at 6 but they have the sound of 10 people. When asked if they want any more instruments Helen answers:“ We can’ t add another member otherwise we’ d need a bus every time we travel! We hear someone great and we’ re like oh you should join the band, but we’ d love some brass!”
Room Service had a hard time choosing a band name as anyone would, putting together a band on a whim.‘ Crash Bang Wallop’ was in the running. Wet Paint could have been a contender. One day the band passed a shop in Kemp Town called Room Service and that fit them to a T.
The final course for the evening is an avalanche of a song, titled JCVD. It’ s rough and tumbling tempo hammering in your ears by lead guitar and a heavily prominent bass in a call and response-like sequence. The song could be the perfect action soundtrack to an episode of Starsky and Hutch. Whilst they’ re behind the wheel of a stolen car being chased by the cops. You’ re forgiven if you don’ t know what JCVD stands for, it’ s an acronym for the action movie actor, the late Jean-Claude Van Damme,( Arnold Swarzenegger’ s Danish look-a-like.) The song is in memory of his iconic films of the 90’ s including‘ Timecop’ and‘ Knowhere to Run.’ Devin’ s glasses fall off with the level of insane energy he is exuding. Even without his commentary and jokes between songs; his showman persona is next level.
Each individual track shows off their talent for writing great songs, and their ability to borrow from different styles, the creativity with lyrics and the bands showmanship which keeps the audience on their toes. Room Service plays with gutsy abandon that is heaps of fun will be sure to shake you out of a post pandemic headache. Listen out for their next single release.
• Lyrics provided by band.
Photo Credit: Lydia Coggins